Covid: Kettering pupils with suspected cases urged to stay at home

Secondary school-aged children have been urged to stay at home if their parents suspect they have Covid as cases soar in a Northamptonshire town.

Kettering, which currently has the highest infection rate in England, has seen cases nearly double within a week.

The area saw 960 cases per 100,000 people in the week to 23 September.

Director of public health Lucy Wightman urged people to "continue to play their part in preventing further spread".

Infections rose by the most in young adults aged 10-19, according to county officials.

They have urged parents and students to test themselves twice a week and said secondary school children suspected of having the virus should not go in until they have had a negative PCR test.

"The county's public health team is continuing to monitor and manage outbreaks in all settings, but I implore all residents must continue to play their part in preventing further spread of the virus," Ms Wightman said.

"With about a third of individuals with coronavirus showing no symptoms and potentially spreading it without knowing, targeted, regular testing means more positive cases within households are found and prevented from entering schools and colleges, helping to keep educational settings safe."

The infection rate in Kettering, which has a population of about 100,000, rose by 97% in the week up to Thursday, compared to the previous week.

It is the highest level of infections seen in Kettering during the pandemic.

The average for England as a whole over the same period was 323 per 100,000 people.

The next highest district is Allerdale in Cumbria with 780 cases per 100,000.

Corby, which is about nine miles (14km) away from Kettering, had England's fifth highest rate, with 679 cases per 100,000.

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