SEVERAL positive cases of Covid have been reported in schools across County Durham in the first week of classrooms reopening after a two-month lockdown.

Students have been sent home and are reverting to home learning following at least three confirmed coronavirus cases in senior schools.

The Northern Echo understands infections have also been reported in some of the county’s primary schools.

A spokesman for Wyvern Academy, Darlington, said: “Lateral flow tests are being carried out as part of the Government’s return to school provision and did pick up a positive result with one student. “All Department for Education procedures were followed in identifying and notifying the pupil who is now required to self-isolate.”

A year eleven pupil at Beaumont Hill Academy, in Darlington, has also tested positive for the virus.

A spokesman for the Education Village Academy Trust said: “A pupil has tested positive as part of the Government’s return to school programme and been asked to self-isolate at home for ten days.

“The student will revert to the trust’s home learning programme, which operated so successfully during lockdown, and continue to study the curriculum online with teacher contact via Teams.”

Seaham High School said a year 11 pupil tested positive and has written to parents to reassure them.

Headteacher Geoff Lumsdon said the situation was being monitored and the school was working closely with Public Health England.

“The small number of children who have been in direct prolonged contact with the confirmed case will have received an individual letter and will be staying at home for ten days.

“The school remains open and your child should continue to attend if they remain well.”

The Northern Echo understands cases have also been reported among pupils from Ferryhill Business and Enterprise College, Coxhoe Primary School and Shotton Hall Primary School.

Durham County Council said the latest data showed there were 72 positive test results for children aged up to 19 within the county.

Richard Crane, Durham County Council’s head of education, said: “We have been working closely with schools across the county to support them in reopening this week and the return to the classroom has gone well.

“School staff have worked tremendously hard throughout the pandemic, and continue to do so, in order to ensure the health and wellbeing of our children while also maintaining educational standards.

“Working with our public health teams, they have put in place a wide range of measures to support social distancing and hand hygiene for pupils, parents and staff and this has helped to minimise coronavirus outbreaks.

“These measures have been boosted with the introduction of regular testing for staff and pupils at our secondary schools, while our public health teams continue to offer advice on any necessary measures required where cases of coronavirus do occur.

“Case numbers remain low among the county’s children and young people, with the latest data showing just 72 positive cases in the county’s 0-19 population of more than 100,000 – less than 0.01 per cent.

“I would like to thank staff, along with pupils, parents and families for their ongoing support during these challenging times.”