Public Health Devon warns that social contact is spreading Covid among school pupils

Children and teenagers are being urged to stick to the Covid guidelines when socialising outside school, following a rise in cases among younger people.

One school in North Devon has switched to remote learning this week after large numbers of its pupils were told to self-isolate; Great Torrington School's headteacher Andrew Bloodworth said, in a letter to parents, that 'despite our best efforts, we have been unable to prevent ongoing transmission within the school community'.

Devon County Council and Public Health Devon are working very closely with schools across the county, but the Director of Public Health, Steve Brown, thinks that in general, the virus is being transmitted outside the school environment.

Infection rates across Devon are highest still in those aged 20-39, followed by 0-19s, but in the youngest age groups, they have risen from 7/100,000 at the start of June to 83/100,000 now. There has not been an increase the infection rate among people aged 60 and over.

Virus 'most likely' to have been transmitted through social contact

Mr Brown said that by looking at clusters of cases how they are likely to have occurred, it is the behaviours outside of school which are putting people at much higher risk of catching and spreading the virus, rather than the classroom environment.

He said: "It's important to see this in context. Yes, the focus now is on schools, but it's unfair to identify them as the necessary cause of the spread," he said.

"We monitor all positive cases of coronavirus in Devon. We know where they are, and by looking at clusters of cases how they are likely to have occurred. In most cases, the transmission has been through social contact most likely outside of a classroom environment.

"Schools have not stopped working hard to maintain the restrictions that they have had in place for many months. We, and the Education team at Devon County Council, are supporting each school whenever there are multiple cases within that age group. We know the measures that they have in place, and that they are following the current national restrictions.

"What it tells us is that behaviours outside of school – socialising, meeting up indoors, not wearing face coverings, not following the social distancing rules, all of this is putting people at much higher risk of catching and spreading the virus."

Parents and young people are urged to follow the rules

Mr Brown added: "My ask, to all young people and their parents, is to not allow yourselves to be distracted from what is still a very real pandemic. You might feel we're over it, but we're not, and it is down to every one of us, individually, to take control, follow the rules.

"We are likely to see case numbers continuing to rise in Devon for weeks yet to come. We can stop that, but it needs all of us to make that happen. We have not advised schools to make additional restrictions to those in place nationally, but we are monitoring the numbers and will intervene location by location, should additional restrictions be required temporarily."