A Liverpool school was forced to shut after too many pupils and staff were struck down by suspected norovirus.
Florence Melly Primary School in Walton has not confirmed the number of staff and students that are sick but said it would remain closed for the remained of the week to prevent the infection spreading.
And in a post on social media the school said the closure would also affect its morning and afternoon nursery 'stay and play' events.
The closure comes on the back of a number of staff calling in sick as well as advice from Mersey Care's Community Infection Control Team.
Aaron Leach, deputy head at Florence Melly, said : “On the advice of the Community Infection Control Team and Public Health England we have postponed our public events to stop any infection from spreading.
“We will also be closing the school tomorrow, Thursday and Friday. Florence Melly is a place of learning where we take our duty of care to our young pupils very seriously. Closing the school is the best course of action to keep them safe and well.”
The closure comes six weeks after two Merseyside schools were hit by norovirus outbreaks.
Wirral's Rock Ferry Primary School was forced to close after 100 children were struck down with the infection, while a number of children were also ill at Millstead School in Everton.
Is your child ill with norovirus? Have you received advice from your school on an outbreak? Get in touch on nick.tyrrell@reachplc.com or 0151 472 2491
What to do if you have Norovirus
If you experience sudden diarrhoea and vomiting, the best thing to do is to stay at home until you’re feeling better. There’s no cure for norovirus, so you have to let it run its course.
You don’t usually need to get medical advice unless there’s a risk of a more serious problem.
To help ease your own or your child’s symptoms:
Drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration . You need to drink more than usual to replace the fluids lost from vomiting and diarrhoea – as well as water, adults could also try fruit juice and soup. Avoid giving fizzy drinks or fruit juice to children as it can make their diarrhoea worse. Babies should continue to feed as usual, either with breast milk or other milk feeds.
Take paracetamol for any fever or aches and pains.
Get plenty of rest.
If you feel like eating, eat plain foods such as soup, rice, pasta and bread .
Use special rehydration drinks made from sachets bought from pharmacies if you have signs of dehydration, such as a dry mouth or dark urine.
Adults can take antidiarrhoeal and anti-emetic (anti-vomiting) medication – these aren’t suitable for everyone though, so you should check the medicine leaflet or ask or your pharmacist or GP for advice before trying them.
Babies and young children, especially if they’re less than a year old, have a greater risk of becoming dehydrated.
Norovirus can spread very easily, so you should wash your hands regularly while you’re ill and stay off work or school until at least 48 hours after the symptoms have cleared to reduce the risk of passing it on.
