Twenty new cases of Covid-19 have been recorded at St Andrews University, just weeks after another outbreak connected to the campus.
Nineteen students and one member of staff are the latest to have tested positive for the virus since April 1.
A further 51 people (46 students and 5 staff members) are now self-isolating, the university has also announced.
An outbreak was also recorded on campus at the end of March, with 15 cases being recorded and 80 people being asked to self-isolate.
In a statement made at the time, the university said the outbreak was isolated to one friend group.
It is still unclear if the two case spikes are linked.
Worried students
The rise in cases has caused concern among the school’s attendees, with one anonymous student saying: “I’m worried because I don’t want a larger outbreak in the St Andrews community to harm any of the student or staff body.”
Despite his worries, the student backed the university’s efforts to contain the virus, adding: “I think the measures in place like mobile test centres etcetera have been adequate and the services provided have been useful, so I think the school has been up to scratch.”
In an email sent out to both staff and students on April 8, the university said: “We are continuing to see a raised level of Covid-19 infection in our student community in St Andrews.
“This new variant of the virus is much more transmissible than the version we experienced last semester and there is growing evidence that it can have more serious outcomes for younger age groups.
“Please respect yourself, your fellow students, the staff who must work on site and the townspeople around you.”
The email also suggested that students follow the “Covid-19 code” which instructs that they wear a mask, wash their hands and keep two metres apart.
They were also advised to book a test and use ‘Report and Support’ tools if they are feeling uneasy about the behaviour of others.
Measures in place
NHS Fife’s director of public health, Dona Milne, said: “NHS Fife’s health protection team continues to work closely with colleagues at the University of St Andrews and Fife Council’s environmental health service, to ensure the necessary measures are in place to limit the opportunity for further spread of Covid-19.
“Covid-19 is highly infectious and can be spread so very easily by those with little or no symptoms at all.
“It is vital, therefore, that we all follow the existing control measures in place, particularly around gathering indoors, if we are to continue to supress the virus.”
