A Dundee dad has called on parents to remain calm over Covid-19 fears after he was bombarded with calls and messages following his son’s positive test for the virus.
Rhys Stewart, 14, who is currently in third year at St John’s RC High School in the city, tested positive for coronavirus on Wednesday October 21 and is now at home in quarantine.
After his diagnosis, dad Mike said he was bombarded with around 40 phone calls and texts from concerned parents from the school who feared their children may have come into contact with Rhys.
Mike said: “There was a child on his football team who was positive so we got him tested on Tuesday and it came back positive on Wednesday.
“Literally an hour after he tested positive, because of social media, my phone was going with parents trying to contact me.
“I took around 30 or 40 phone calls from parents wanting to know if their child had been in contact with my son, there was absolute hysteria and people need to strike a balance here.
“We need to get away from the hysteria and live with it, otherwise we will go round in circles.”
Although he is asymptomatic, Rhys has to stay at home until October 30, with his dad, mum and older brother all having to self-isolate until November 2 as a precaution.
Mike added: “Rhys is asymptomatic but very grumpy, and we are all isolating now – luckily both my wife and I are working from home so we are just getting on with it.
“I couldn’t fault St John’s High School, the schools going back have nothing to do with this and that is quite clear.
“St John’s has handled it brilliantly.”
Meanwhile, further positive cases have been recorded at Harris Academy, at S5 at Craigie High School and S3 at Baldragon Academy, as well as class 6B2 at Monifieth High School.
A Dundee City Council spokesman said: “We are aware of cases in these schools and have been working closely with NHS Tayside.
“With the assistance of public health, we are ensuring that the appropriate measures are being taken.
“These schools have communicated with all families in the school community directly about this.”
An NHS Tayside spokesman said: “NHS Tayside’s Health Protection Team is aware of a small number of cases of Covid-19 in pupils linked to St John’s RC School and Harris Academy in Dundee.
“All close contacts have been identified and have been advised to self-isolate. There is no evidence of school transmission. The Head Teachers have been in contact with parents.
“The Health Protection Team is also aware of individual cases at Baldragon Academy and Craigie High School in Dundee. Close contacts are being identified and are being advised to self isolate.
“Parents of the wider school population in all four schools have been reassured that if they have not been contacted individually, their child has not been identified as a contact of the cases. They can continue to attend school and undertake other activities as normal.”
NHS Tayside has also confirmed an outbreak at Ninewells Hospital, with wards two, three and 19 closed as well as ward four at the Kingsway Care Centre.
All four wards are not accepting any new admissions and visiting has been suspended.
Patients and staff in the infected wards have all been offered testing by the health board.
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