A HARLOW school is set to be closed and disinfected as a member of staff has just returned from a part of northern Italy which has been affected by the Coronavirus outbreak.

William Martin Junior, Infant and Nursery School on Tawneys Road, Harlow will be closed on Wednesday whilst they disinfect the school.

Executive headteacher, Gina Bailey has written to parents explaining that “a member of staff has recently returned from a holiday in Northern Italy, from areas that have been identified as a concern.

“Advice from NHS 111 is that they should home isolate for 14 days. Having consulted with Public Health England and NHS 111, the risk at school has been identified as low to pupils and staff.

However, to further minimise the risk, both William Martin Infants and Juniors will be shut for one day, Wednesday 26th February 2020 to allow for it to be fully cleaned, ensuring the school is hygienic and safe for all to return on Thursday 27th February 2020.

“As I mentioned in my previous letter, we will continue to strive to keep the children of William Martin School’s as safe and healthy as we possibly can and I wanted to reassure parents that we take this very seriously in our schools”.

YH has spoken to executive head, Gina Bailey. Ms Bailey stressed “This is a precautionary measure as we take the welfare of everyone at the school very seriously.

“The member of staff has been in attendance at the school but has not shown any symptoms. Nevertheless, I again stress that this is a precautionary measure and part of our approach to welfare and safeguarding.”

In Italy, seven people have died and more than 200 suspected and confirmed cases of the coronavirus have been recorded in what has become Europe’s biggest outbreak of the illness.

A dozen towns in northern Italy have been placed on lockdown to control the spread of infection, and neighbouring Austria has assembled a special taskforce to consider border controls.