More than 3,000 staff and children at County Durham schools have self-isolated due to coronavirus in just 21 days, a union says.
Figures from Durham National Education Union (NEU) reveal thousands of children and staff members have been told to self-isolate due to close contact within the first month of the new term.
There have been 118 positive coronavirus cases between staff and pupils across the county from September 9 to 30.
In total 67 children and 51 staff have tested positive for the virus at 61 schools, with four colleges, four specialist schools, 16 secondary schools and 37 primary schools recording cases.
Durham NEU secretary Emma Parker warned the figures could be much higher and asked the community to help prevent the spread of the virus.
She said: “These are the schools where we do know about positive cases.
“We ask schools to let us know when they have a positive case but there are one we do not know about. I don’t know how many are on top of that.
“The figures are from the first day of term - September 9 - to September 30 and we have to think not all schools were back on September 9, it was a staggered start. It is scary.”
Ms Parker said a ‘Plan B’ was needed to make sure children self-isolating at home were getting the education they are entitled to.
She said: “How many of these children have access to electronics?
“No child should be left behind. A child’s chance at education should not be down to if their family has enough electronics in their household.”
Ms Parker also said testing for the virus needed to improve to ensure children were back at school as soon as possible.
“They have got to get tested quickly if they are isolating,” she said. “If they are told to go home on Monday, tested on Tuesday and back in school by Wednesday.”
Parents at some primary schools in County Durham are now being asked to wear masks when dropping off and collecting children.
She added: “We have got some primary schools asking parents to wear masks at pick up and drop off time.
“There have been schools where they are struggling to socially distance outside, sometimes by choice and sometimes by locality.
"If a school is on the main road and there are 200 children coming out on the street, there is not a lot of space.
“If there are four or five parents standing next to each other, it could impact different year groups. We want to minimise the risk.”
