School forced to delay opening as '20 pupils catch coronavirus' on group holiday to Zante

3 September 2020, 10:19 | Updated: 3 September 2020, 10:22

Children in Buckinghamshire have reportedly been asked to quarantine after returning home from a trip to Greece.

A school in Buckinghamshire has been forced to delay its reopening after a number of students tested positive for coronavirus following a trip abroad.

Sir William Borlase's Grammar School had planned to open for everyone today (September 3), but now students won’t be back properly until September 10 with a 'staggered start', reports the Maidenhead Advertiser.

Parents and students were told about the plan in a newsletter on Friday, with headteacher Kay Mountfield stating: "As you know, at Borlase, we are very much looking forward to welcoming you all to school in September and have been working hard towards this aim.

“The school and staff are ready and excited to get started. However, in the last 24 hours, the school has been informed of a number of positive cases of COVID-19 in the school community following travels overseas.

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"All the organisations, along with our Chair of Governors, support my decision to prioritise safety and delay the opening until Thursday, September 10."

According to The Sun, the coronavirus cases are all linked to a group holiday to Zante, which was attended by around 30 students in sixth form.

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Anita Cranmer, Buckinghamshire Council’s Cabinet Member for Education and Skills said: "A group of young people and some family members have tested positive for Covid-19 over the last few days, some of whom are pupils at the same school, Sir William Borlase’s Grammar School in Marlow.

"These cases are all linked and were acquired abroad during the school holidays. All households are now self-isolating having been contacted by test and trace staff.

"The school is clean and safe to return to and there will be a staggered start to the school year with the older students returning slightly later to allow pupils to complete the self-isolation period.

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"Public Health England are actively investigating these cases and have traced contacts to ensure that they are aware of the need to self-isolate. There should be no cause for wider alarm."

This comes after calls have been made for the government to decide whether tourists returning to England from Greece should quarantine.

Scotland has introduced its own measures after COVID-19 cases have been steadily increasing in the holiday hotspot, saying travellers arriving from Greece must quarantine for 14 days after 04:00 BST on Thursday.

And Wales has asked arrivals from Greek island Zante to quarantine.

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