There is a backlog of people waiting to be tested and receive their results for coronavirus in South West London.

Last week Latchmere Primary School in Kingston announced that a member of staff had been told to self-isolate after feeling ‘unwell’ after her son returned from a school skiing trip in Northern Italy.

She contacted the school immediately and did not come in, but is still waiting for her results to come back.

Surrey Comet:

A statement on the school’s website read: “Our staff member is still awaiting her results. There is currently a backlog nationwide of those awaiting their results. We will continue to update as new information comes in and we continue to follow all guidelines provided by the Department for Education.”

Grey Court School in Richmond posted a similar update on its website yesterday.

Surrey Comet:

It read: “Due to the recent high demand for coronavirus tests, there is a backlog nationally for people waiting either to be tested or to receive their results.

“Over the weekend, and today, we had a number of families confirm that their results have come back. All test results are negative, and the medical advice is that they can return to school if they are well enough to do so. We continue to follow local and national advice from the Department for Education as well as Public Health England.”

Ashcroft Technology Academy in Putney also sent home staff and pupils last week who had returned from a skiing trip to Northern Italy as a precaution against the virus.

Surrey Comet:

However the school wrote to parents again yesterday (March 2) explaining that the pupils and staff will be allowed to return to school within the next three or four days.

The government advice is that those who visited Category 2 areas of the virus such as parts of Northern Italy, do not need to take special measures unless they develop symptoms – in which case they should self-isolate. So the Academy says it will be contacting the staff pupils and inviting them to return as long as they have showed no symptoms. If they have showed symptoms, but been tested negative for the virus they will also be invited to return.

Anyone who has tested positive still has to wait until their symptoms go away or until their 14-day observation period has passed.

More information about Coronavirus is available on the government’s website – https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/