A CORONAVIRUS outbreak at a village school near York has spread rapidly through the community, with dozens of children and adults having now tested positive, a parent has claimed.

The Press reported earlier this week that there had been an outbreak at St Mary’s Primary School in Askham Richard, with acting headteacher Stephanie Gee saying the school had taken all appropriate action as advised by public health after the school had had positive cases.

A parent has now told The Press that it had now been calculated locally that there had been more than 30 cases as a result of the outbreak, involving children and their families from across a wide area including Acomb and a number of villages between York and Tadcaster.

“Thankfully most have been mild and in most child cases asymptomatic,” said the parent, who did not wish to be identified.

“I think this really does highlight why schools are not safe to return and the impact on so many families at such a special time of year is clearly evident.

“School have done so much more than a lot of other schools within the wider York area, so it shows that no one is safe from this virus, no matter how robust the guidelines.

“Schools in my opinion should not be reopening and I will not be sending my child back.

“ I think more people need to also understand and appreciate it may be ok for them but for others, it could have life or death implications, whether they be young or old. Parents need to take their share of the responsibility for this outbreak as well as school.”

The claim that there have been 38 cases cannot be corroborated but the latest Public Health England figures show that the Poppleton, Rufforth and Askham area has one of the highest coronavirus rates in the City of York Council area.

The rolling seven-day rate for the City of York Council area in the week to December 26 shows there was a total of 40 confirmed cases, or 627.5 per 100,000 population.

The council’s latest Covid-19 daily data tracker says that in the seven days up to December 20, there were 23 children of primary and secondary school age who tested positive across 16 different schools.

Acting headteacher at St Mary's, Stephanie Gee, declined to comment further.

The Government has decided that primary school children in many parts of the country should go back to school next week. It is not known whether other parents in the York area will refuse to send their children back.

Head teachers have criticised the Government’s “utterly chaotic” handling of school reopenings after a decision to close some primary schools was announced at short notice.

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson on Friday confirmed that all London primary schools will remain shut next week as the capital battles with high levels of coronavirus infections.

Most other primary schools are expected to still open on Monday while secondary schools will reopen on a staggered basis, with exam year pupils returning on January 11 and others returning a week later.

While the London move has been welcomed as the “right decision”, the Government was also accused of making another U-turn just days after it told some schools to reopen for the new term.

Unions have also called for all schools in England to remain closed amid the spread of the new Covid-19 variant.