A number of pupils at a north-east primary school have been asked to self-isolate after “several” Covid cases were detected.
Parents at Portsoy School have expressed concerns ahead of the P4-P7 pupils returning on Monday.
One claimed they had not been informed of the extent of the outbreak, or when pupils or teachers tested positive.
They also suggested 90% of pupils in one year group were not attending school due to concerns and that no provision for home schooling had been made.
Earlier this week Portsoy School’s nursery was forced to close due to staff shortages linked to Covid.
And today the council has confirmed one of the primary classes have now been asked to self-isolate.
Local councillor John Cox said he was aware of the concerns that had been raised by parents at the school.
He said: “If there has been a communication issue, I can certainly ask the officers to review the communication strategy in terms of ensuring it isn’t just about the people at the school but everybody associated.”
He added: “An incident like this raises the fact that the virus has not gone away, it’s still in the ether and we all need to stay vigilant.
“I hope that all the people who have caught the Covid have a speedy recovery.”
An Aberdeenshire Council spokesman said: “We have been advised by the NHS Grampian Health Protection Team that there have been several detected cases of Covid-19 linked to Portsoy School and Nursery.
“The nursery has had to close due to staff shortages and one primary group has been asked to self-isolate.
“The school has written to parents and carers to advise them of the closure and to inform them of alternative childcare arrangements that are available to them.
“The school remains open.
“All of our schools are already subject to enhanced cleaning measures and we continue to work closely with our colleagues in Public Health.”
The spokesman added they do not believe it will have an impact on pupils in P4-P7 returning on Monday.
A spokesperson for NHS Grampian said: “We’re aware of the reported cases and the Health Protection/Public Health team is working closely with the school.”
The latest figures from Public Health Scotland (PHS) show more than a dozen cases of Covid have been detected in the Portsoy area since March 3.
According to PHS, 14 positive cases were confirmed between March 3-9 in Portsoy, Fordyce and Cornhill, make it the area in Aberdeenshire with the highest seven-day positive rate per 100,000 population.
