John Culatto
A THIRD person has tested positive for COVID-19 at Westside School, sending seven staff members home.
It follows the second person who tested positive last week, that put 11 staff members out of action.
Seven students were also forced to self-isolate in today’s case as well as the seven members of staff.
The discovery comes after the outbreak was first revealed at the secondary school on September 18.
However, the case seems to be unconnected to the other two cases located over the last two weeks.
The Contact Tracing team have been working with school staff and the Department of Education to find out who has been affected.
It has been in contact with relevant staff members and students and interviewed them to find out who has had ‘close contact’ with the individual concerned.
As a result, 11 staff members and 11 students have been found to have been in close contact with the positive case and all have been told to self-isolate.
Close contact is defined as proximity within a closed area for longer than 15 minutes.
The authorities have told all Westside School students to go to school as normal if they have not been contacted by the Contact Tracing Bureau.
“Parents and students are reminded that individuals with COVID symptoms should not attend school,” said the Department of Education.
“They should stay at home, self-isolate and call 111.”
“Close contacts and siblings of children who have been asked to self-isolate should attend school as normal unless otherwise advised by the Contact Tracing Bureau.”
Any specific question can be directed to the schools via this school email.
Passenger locator
The news of the virus spread comes as the government introduced a digital online passenger locator form for incoming travellers.
The new system is designed to replace the current manual form for arrivals from so-called ‘relevant areas’ hit hard by COVID-19.
People coming from these areas would have to self-isolate or be tested on arrival in Gibraltar.
“A ‘relevant area’ means a country, area or territory outside the European Union but does not include the United Kingdom, Jersey, Guernsey and Isle of Man, Andorra, Monaco, San Marino and the Vatican,” said the government.
“It also excludes the list of countries included in the Schedule.
“These are Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland, Australia, Canada, Georgia, Japan, New Zealand, Rwanda, South Korea, Thailand, Tunisia, Uruguay, and China.”
This legal requirement is a free service that can be completed once passengers have checked in to their flights.
With active cases now at 25 on the Rock, the government has also notified there will not be any Christmas events because of the pandemic.
