Sturgeon insists classrooms are safe as new coronavirus cases confirmed at 19 Fife schools

The first minister insists schools are safe place to be - as health officials investigate new coronavirus cases at 19 schools and nurseries across Fife.

The cases - at the schools listed below - come after news that more than 400 pupils at Auchmuty High in Glenrothes have been forced to self-isolate after an outbreak there.

Kingdom FM asked Nicola Sturgeon about the situation in Fife at her daily briefing - you can view her response in the video above.

She has come under pressure to shut schools in areas which are under level four restrictions - but she says she has no plans to do so.

At the briefing she said: "Public Health Scotland has just published some experimental statistics about levels of Covid among schoolchildren. They suggest that in the first nine weeks of term, of 700,000 pupils in Scotland’s schools, there were 1,600 positive cases.

"That represents just over 0.2% of pupils over that period, and it is consistent with other evidence that Covid is responsible for a small proportion of absences from school.

"In addition, fewer than a quarter of all schools in Scotland had any cases of Covid among pupils. There were, as you might expect, more cases in secondary schools. But even so, fewer than half of secondary schools had any cases of Covid and 78% had no cases at all.

"And of course, where there are cases that does not necessarily mean Covid is transmitting in schools. The small percentage of pupils who tested positive supports other research showing that Covid cases in schools tend to come from the community, not from the school.

"There is of course, and we are not seeking to deny this, still some risk of transmission in schools. That’s why we must continue to take all the necessary steps to mitigate that.

"But today’s figures illustrate again how well local authorities, teachers, other school staff and students, have worked to mitigate that risk.

"And they help to reinforce our view that at this time, the benefits young people gain from being in school, outweigh the overall impact of schools on transmission rates."

Meanwhile a paper from the Covid-19 advisory sub-group on education and children's issues, claims there is "no direct evidence that transmission of the virus within schools plays a significant role in driving rates of infection among children".

It has also found no difference between Covid-19 positivity rates in teachers and school staff, relative to other worker groups of the same age.

Professor Devi Sridhar, chair of Global Public Health at the University of Edinburgh and a member of the sub-group, said: "The overwhelming evidence from across the world is that children are safest in school and that school closures increase educational inequalities and have long-term detrimental outcomes for young people.

"Scotland’s success in providing primary and secondary children full-time, in-person learning from mid-August should be an example for other countries in the world deciding their schools policy.

"The key factor in keeping schools open and safe is to reduce community prevalence by ensuring appropriate public health measures and restrictions are put in place to reduce community transmission."

The new Fife cases are at:

Gallatown Nursery - Kirkcaldy

• One positive case associated with the nursery

Nursery at Lochgelly South Primary School

• One positive case associated with the nursery

Carleton Primary School - Glenrothes

• One positive case associated with the school

Culross Primary School

• One positive case associated with the school

Fair Isle Primary School - Kirkcaldy

• Two positive cases associated with the school

Foulford Primary School - Cowdenbeath

• Two positive cases associated with the school

Kinglassie Primary School

• One positive case associated with the school

Kirkcaldy West Primary School

• Two positive cases associated with the school

Methilhill Primary School

• One positive case associated with the school

Pathhead Primary School - Kirkcaldy

• Three positive cases associated with the school

Torryburn Primary School - Dunfermline

• One positive case associated with the school

Auchmuty High School - Glenrothes

• One positive cases associated with the school

Balwearie High School - Kirkcaldy

• One positive case associated with the school

Beath High School - Cowdenbeath

• One positive case associated with the school

Bell Baxter High School - Cupar

• One positive case associated with the school

Dunfermline High School

• Two positive cases associated with the school

Glenrothes High School

• One positive case associated with the school

Kirkcaldy High School

• Two positive cases associated with the school

Viewforth High School - Kirkcaldy

• Five positive cases associated with the school

A statement from the health board said: "Where there is more than one confirmed case, this does not necessarily suggest transmission within the school and may relate to a sibling or household group, or it may be separate incidences of community-acquired infection.

"Where contact tracing is necessary, risk management and the provision of isolation advice has been undertaken in conjunction with Fife Council education staff.

"There are a number of useful resources available for parents in Fife, with information on how best to reduce the chances of your family contracting the virus and what you should do if someone in the household develops symptoms. These can be accessed at: www.nhsfife.org/news-updates/campaigns/coronavirus-information/information-for-parents/.

"Furthermore, Fife Council has made a comprehensive list of questions and answers available for parents and carers at: www.fife.gov.uk/schoolcovidfaqs.                                               

"Anyone with any one or more of the symptoms should immediately self-isolate and order a test on the NHS inform website www.nhsinform.scot or by calling 0800 028 2816."