Portstewart Primary School closed due to gastroenteritis - BBC News

Image copyright Google

Image caption The school said it would remain closed on Tuesday

More than 200 children have been kept home from a County Londonderry primary school after an outbreak of gastroenteritis.

About 60 people - pupils, staff and family members - have become unwell at Portstewart Primary School.

The school was closed on Monday as a precautionary measure so that it could undergo a "deep clean".

It said it was working closely with the Public Health Agency (PHA) and the school would remain closed on Tuesday.

It said this was at the request of the Education Authority "in order to complete their deep clean", and that the school was expected to reopen on Wednesday.

In a message to parents, the school said it was "currently experiencing an increase in the number of children with symptoms of diarrhoea and vomiting illness".

As first reported by the Belfast Telegraph, it said it was working with the PHA "to minimise the risk of spread of the infection within the school".

Gastroenteritis is highly contagious and can be transmitted through contact with an infected person or contaminated food and drink.

Symptoms can include vomiting, fever and stomach ache.

The school has asked parents to keep their children off school "until they have been symptom free for 48 hours".

The Education Authority (EA) said the situation will be closely monitored.

"EA is working closely with Portstewart Primary School, the Public Health Agency (PHA) and other statutory agencies following reports relating to a number of cases of gastroenteritis among pupils, staff and family members of pupils at the school," an EA spokeswoman said.

"We would advise parents that if their child is unwell on Tuesday or subsequent days they should not come in to school."

https://ift.tt/2n1XtLh