Coronavirus fears grip UK schools as 10 send pupils home after Italy ski trips Brits returning from northern Italy have been told to self-isolate after an outbreak which has already claimed two lives. Schools in Cheshire and Cornwall have been hit by full or partial closures
Schools across the UK have been forced to send pupils and staff home amid fears of a coronavirus outbreak with some shutting altogether.
It comes after pupils took part in half term trips to northern Italy, where the high number of cases have led to 11 towns in Lombardy and the Veneto being put in lockdown.
Seven people have died and 283 have been diagnosed with coronavirus in Italy, with more than 50,000 in affected towns on lockdown.
Independent Cransley School in Northwich and nearby Nearby Brine Leas Academy in Northwich, Cheshire, are among those to shut their doors, after some students developed flu-like symptoms following ski trips to the region.
All pupils at Penair School in Truro, Cornwall, have been sent home after returning from a trip to Ponte di Legno.
And Salendine Nook High School in Huddersfield, West Yorks, has sent 19 pupils and four staff home who had recently returned from a ski trip.
Hall Cross Academy in Doncaster has told all staff and students who attended a half-term ski trip to northern Italy to self-isolate for 14 days after the coronavirus outbreak.
Pupils at Trinity Catholic College in Middlesbrough have been told to stay away after some students were on an eight-day ski trip to Italy.A grammar school in Ballymena, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, has sent home 50 pupils and staff after they returned from an Italian ski holiday.
Banbridge Academy in County Down and Limavady Grammar School in County Derry have also taken precautionary measures of sending students home.
Three staff members at Haverfordwest High VC School in Haverfordwest, Wales have been sent home as precaution after a trip to a region in Italy that was not affected by the outbreak. Pupils there have been collected by parents.
A teacher at Archbishop Sentamu Academy in east Hull was sent home after he holidayed in northern Italy over the half-term.
Cransley School in Northwich, Cheshire, say some pupils and staff started showing flu-like symptoms days after returning home.
Twenty-nine pupils and five members of staff travelled to Bormio in coronavirus-hit Lombardy for a week-long skiing trip over half-term.
Lombardy is one of the most infected regions in Italy and towns and schools have closed after cases of the virus rose sharply.
The school, which charges families £12,000 a year to send children there, announced it has temporarily closed.
Headmaster Richard Pollock said: "I understand that there will be a variety of reactions to this decision amongst parents, and I hope that all families will understand the developing situation and the changing and inconsistent advice given to the school.There are a number of pupils and staff who have vulnerable family members and it is the School's duty of care to put in place the most secure of measures to minimise any possible infection, despite public policy.
"The staff, pupils and families of Cransley are our highest concern, and whilst we understand the impact this may have on the education of the pupils and disruption to working practice of parents, we believe this decision is justified."
Nearby Brine Leas Academy in Nantwich has also taken the decision to partially close today, Cheshire Live reports .
It comes after Sixth Form pupils and staff returned from a trip to Italy.
The school has said on Twitter that it will remain open but that the Sixth Form College will close due to 'staff shortages'.
It said: "We are currently following Government advice regarding travel to Italy. Further contact will be made this morning."
In the South West, parents of children at Penair School in Truro were told to pick their kids up, Cornwall Live reports .
A message sent to parents of the affected students by the school said: "Following an announcement on the BBC News and with guidance from Public Health England we are required to send all children and staff home following the ski trip, to self-quarantine.
"Please contact us to arrange collection of your son/daughter this morning."
Salendine Nook High School in West Yorkshire has sent home 19 children and four staff after they passed through Milan Airport following a ski holiday in Italy, Examiner Live reports.
Around 50 pupils and staff at Cambridge House Grammar school in Co Antrim, Northern Ireland, have been sent home as a precaution against coronavirus after returning from an Italian ski holiday.
They were in the Lombardy region in the north of the country but did not visit nine towns affected by the Covid-19 infection and are showing no symptoms.
The Banbridge Academy students travelled to Italy earlier this month for a ski-trip, staying in the San Valentino area of Trentino from February 15 to 22,
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