Oxgangs Primary School will be closed until Monday 8 December due to illness.
In the past 24 hours 150 children and 14 staff at the school in Oxgangs Road North have been taken ill with symptoms of vomiting and/or diarrhoea.
NHS Lothian’s Health Protection Team have advised that the symptoms indicate viral gastroenteritis (also known as norovirus or winter vomiting disease) which is currently circulating in the community. It is usually a short-lived illness from which children recover quickly.
Due to the numbers involved a decision has been taken to close the school and nursery until Monday 8 December. A deep clean will take place at the school over the coming days.
Andy Gray, Head of Schools and Community Services at the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “The wellbeing of everyone at the school is paramount so we’ve taken the decision to send pupils and staff home on the advice of NHS Lothian’s Health Protection Team.
“A deep clean will now take place and the school will reopen on Monday. We realise that closing the school presents difficulties for parents but it is an essential course of action to deal with the outbreak.”
Dr Lorna Willocks, Consultant in Public Health, NHS Lothian said: “Due to the large number of children affected at Oxgangs Primary we have advised the school to close until Monday, in order to try to shorten the duration of the outbreak.
“Norovirus is highly infectious and can spread very easily. You can still be infectious up to 48 hours after your symptoms go, so although you may feel better you may still be passing on the bug to others during this time. So, it is very important that if you have had sickness and diarrhoea that you stay off school or work for at least 48 hours after your symptoms go away.
“The school will undergo a thorough deep clean and we are advising parents to ensure that all members of the family wash their hands frequently especially before meal times and after using the toilet.
“Oxgangs Primary School, the City of Edinburgh Council and NHS Lothian Health Protection Team will continue to monitor the situation.”
For more information on norovirus visit the NHS Lothian website or NHS inform website.
Getting norovirus cannot always be avoided, but good hygiene can help to limit the virus spreading. Top tips include:
- Wash your hands frequently and thoroughly with soap and water, particularly after using the toilet and before preparing food.
- Do not share towels, flannels or toothbrushes.
- Disinfect any surfaces or objects that could be contaminated with the virus. It is best to use a bleach-based household cleaner.
- Wash any clothing or bedding that could have become contaminated with the virus. Wash the items separately and on a hotwash to ensure that the virus is killed.
- Avoid eating raw, unwashed produce
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