More than 1,500 pupils across Wiltshire are currently self-isolating due to Covid cases, the council has confirmed.

As the Delta variant continues to spread, fuelling the number of infections, more cases in schools are being picked up.

Students in secondary schools and colleges undergo twice-weekly testing with lateral flow tests, meaning infections are unlikely to go undetected.

As of Monday June 28, Wiltshire Council revealed 55 settings had reported cases of coronavirus and more than 1,500 pupils were self-isolating.

As of June 28, 178 cases had been reported in educational settings throughout June.

Kate Blackburn, Wiltshire's public health director, said that, in some cases, more than one pupil were testing positive within the same school bubble.

This, she said, shows just how easily transmissible the new strain is.

'Schools are resilient'

Speaking during Tuesday's (June 29) media briefing, Mrs Blackburn said: "One thing that's been established over the past year is that schools are resilient - they've got plans in place to ensure every pupil having to stay at home can still continue with work but despite that we know it's still a big disruption for everybody involved so my public health team have been working very closely with schools to provide them with support, help them manage the cases as much as possible."

Whether just the positive case or the entire bubble have to self-isolate is a decision taken by schools individually after considering a "whole range of risk factors".

She explained: "Having large numbers of students self-isolating depends on the bubble arrangements of the particular school, where the positive case may have been, how they may have travelled and another whole range of risk factors to make sure we're keeping pupils and their families and all of the staff safe."

Bubbles could go

As part of the next step of easing Covid restrictions in England, school bubbles could be scrapped from July 19, according to the Education Secretary.

The move follows concerns over large numbers of pupils being sent home for 10 days when a positive case is identified in their bubble.

Speaking in the Commons on Wednesday June 30, Gavin Williamson said: “What I want to see is these restrictions including bubbles removed as quickly as possible along with wider restrictions in society.

“I do not think it is acceptable that children should face greater restrictions over and above those of wider society especially since they have given up so much to keep older generations safe over the last 18 months.

“Further steps will be taken to reduce the number of children who have to self-isolate including looking at the outcomes of a daily contact testing trial as we consider a new model for keeping children in schools and colleges.

“We constantly assess all available data and we expect to be able to confirm plans to lift restrictions and bubbles as part of Step 4.

“Once that decision has been made we will issue guidance immediately to schools.”

Labour warned data showed 375,000 children were out of school last week as a result of coronavirus.

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