A SECOND case of Covid-19 has been confirmed at a York school.

As The Press reported on Monday, a member of staff at New Earswick Primary School tested positive for the virus and now a pupil from the same class has also tested positive.

A spokesperson for Pathfinder Multi Academy Trust, of which New Earswick is a member, said: "We cannot fully rule out that transmission of this case occurred in the class and to prevent the further spread of infection, we are advising that all children in the Year 6 class are required to self-isolate for 14 days. This decision has been taken in consultation with the school and Public Health York."

As a precautionary measure the school is also asking Year 2 parents to temporarily keep their children at home following an unconfirmed case of Covid-19 in a Year 2 pupil. The school hopes to have further clarity on this case by the end of the week.

There are 34 in Year 6 and 28 in Year 2 at New Earswick so a total of 62 pupils will be off school.

One parent, who has a child in Year 6 and works for the NHS, and who did not want to be named, criticised the school for not acting fast enough to keep children off school sooner.

He said: "The school said that the member of staff wasn't at school when they contracted it, but they have no idea when they contracted the virus and they should have sent the kids home and followed national guidelines."

In a letter to parents, head teacher Angela Oswald said: “We are deeply sorry to be making this decision but I hope you will support us in prioritising the safety of your child.”

Children in the Year 6 class are advised to remain at home up to and including Friday, September 25 and can return to school on Monday, September 28. Other members of the household do not need to self-isolate and siblings can still attend school.

The school has said there is no need for children or anyone in the household to be tested for coronavirus unless they develop symptoms and they are advising parents to be vigilant of their child developing a high temperature, new continuous cough or a loss or change to their sense of taste or smell. If this does happen parents should contact the school and arrange a coronavirus test as soon as possible by calling 119.

Mrs Oswald said: “As soon as we receive information that will allow the class to return to school, we will open the class again. We are hoping that this will be for a short period of time.

"The school is providing online learning resources for all children who are self-isolating to help minimise the disruption to their education.

"We understand that parents and pupils may find this news worrying and we encourage parents to contact the school if they wish to discuss any concerns."