London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Oct 30, 2025

Fifth pupil tests positive in Lanarkshire cluster

Fifth pupil tests positive in Lanarkshire cluster

A fifth Lanarkshire school pupil has tested positive for Covid-19 amid concern the virus is being transmitted at indoor social gatherings.

The pupil at Caldervale High School in Airdrie attended school on Thursday.

However officials say there is no evidence to suggest the virus is being spread at the school and it will reopen as normal on Monday.

The latest positive case is linked to seven others in Lanarkshire, including pupils from two other schools.

An investigation is under way into the outbreak, which also includes:

* Three pupils from St Ambrose High School in Coatbridge
* One pupil from St Andrew's High School in Coatbridge
* Three linked cases who are not pupils or staff at the schools

Dr David Cromie, NHS Lanarkshire consultant in public health, said: "There is evidence that mixing socially in the community, particularly around social gatherings in houses, without maintaining physical distancing measures can transmit the virus and is a factor in this investigation."

He said contact tracers were getting in touch with people who have been in close contact with the latest positive case.

"NHS Lanarkshire is working closely with North Lanarkshire Council and the school to identify all close contacts of the case who are being given public health advice and being told to self-isolate," he added.

"With the route of transmission likely to be through indoor social gatherings, I would urge all parents and young people to stick to the Scottish government rules in order to avoid future cases within the community resulting in cases in the local schools."

No more than eight people from a maximum of three households are allowed to gather indoors.

Social distancing applies to anyone from separate households, unless they are under the age of 12.

NHS Lanarkshire said the Caldervale High School pupil was isolating at home with their family.

It said all parents of pupils at the school had been notified of the development.

Dr Cromie added: "We are aware that there will still be concern both for pupils and their parents/carers at this time and I wanted to reassure them that all settings which the individual has attended during their infectious period are being identified and assessed."

He urged people to wash their hands thoroughly and regularly and he reminded them they should stay off school or work if they experience any Covid symptoms, even if they are mild.

Derek Brown, of North Lanarkshire Council, said the local authority was supporting the incident management team led by NHS Lanarkshire.

"We will continue to respond to advice from NHS Lanarkshire and provide information and reassurance to parents and carers, pupils and staff," he added.

"We fully understand that parents and pupils will be anxious. No blame is attached to anyone who is interviewed by Test and Protect but it is important that as much information as possible is given.

"In addition, pupil support within schools is available to any pupil who is anxious or has concerns."

Fishing vessel cluster


The development emerged as the number of coronavirus cases in Scotland rose by 43 in the last 24 hours.

It included one new case in Orkney, which has been linked to an outbreak among the crew of a fishing vessel.

There have been no deaths of people who have tested positive for the virus since 15 July.

Meanwhile, the Victoria Bar in Edinburgh has temporarily closed after a customer confirmed overnight they had tested positive for Covid-19 following a recent holiday in Malta.

Owners Boda Bars said the pub, on Leith Walk, will be shut until Friday and all staff that were on duty when the customer visited will self-isolate for the next 14 days.

It confirmed the customer visited the bar between 16:45 and 18:00 on Friday.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK and Vietnam Sign Landmark Migration Deal to Fast-Track Returns of Irregular Arrivals
UK Drug-Pricing Overhaul Essential for Life-Sciences Ambition, Says GSK Chief
Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie Temporarily Leave the UK Amid Their Parents’ Royal Fallout
UK Weighs Early End to Oil and Gas Windfall Tax as Reeves Seeks Investment Commitments
UK Retail Inflation Slows as Shop Prices Fall for First Time Since Spring
Next Raises Full-Year Profit Guidance After Strong Third-Quarter Performance
Reform UK’s Lee Anderson Admits to 'Gaming' Benefits System While Advocating Crackdown
United States and South Korea Conclude Major Trade Accord Worth $350 Billion
Hurricane Melissa Strikes Cuba After Devastating Jamaica With Record Winds
Vice President Vance to Headline Turning Point USA Campus Event at Ole Miss
U.S. Targets Maritime Narco-Routes While Border Pressure to Mexico Remains Limited
Bill Gates at 70: “I Have a Real Fear of Artificial Intelligence – and Also Regret”
Elon Musk Unveils Grokipedia: An AI-Driven Alternative to Wikipedia
Saudi Arabia Unveils Vision for First-Ever "Sky Stadium" Suspended Over Desert Floor
Amazon Announces 14 000 Corporate Job Cuts as AI Investment Accelerates
UK Shop Prices Fall for First Time Since March, Food Leads the Decline
London Stock Exchange Group ADR (LNSTY) Earns Zacks Rank #1 Upgrade on Rising Earnings Outlook
Soap legend Tony Adams, long-time star of Crossroads, dies at 84
Rachel Reeves Signals Tax Increases Ahead of November Budget Amid £20-50 Billion Fiscal Gap
NatWest Past Gains of 314% Spotlight Opportunity — But Some Key Risks Remain
UK Launches ‘Golden Age’ of Nuclear with £38 Billion Sizewell C Approval
UK Announces £1.08 Billion Budget for Offshore Wind Auction to Boost 2030 Capacity
UK Seeks Steel Alliance with EU and US to Counter China’s Over-Capacity
UK Struggles to Balance China as Both Strategic Threat and Valued Trading Partner
Argentina’s Markets Surge as Milei’s Party Secures Major Win
British Journalist Sami Hamdi Detained by U.S. Authorities After Visa Revocation Amid Israel-Gaza Commentary
King Charles Unveils UK’s First LGBT+ Armed Forces Memorial at National Memorial Arboretum
At ninety-two and re-elected: Paul Biya secures eighth term in Cameroon amid unrest
Racist Incidents Against UK Nurses Surge by 55%
UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves Cites Shared Concerns With Trump Administration as Foundation for Early US-UK Trade Deal
Essentra plc: A Closer Look at a UK ‘Penny Stock’ Opportunity Amid Market Weakness
U.S. and China Near Deal to Avert Rare-Earth Export Controls Ahead of Trump-Xi Summit
Justin time: Justin Herbert Shields Madison Beer with Impressive Reflex at Lakers Game
Russia’s President Putin Declares Burevestnik Nuclear Cruise Missile Ready for Deployment
Giuffre’s Memoir Alleges Maxwell Claimed Sexual Act with Clooney
House Republicans Move to Strip NYC Mayoral Front-Runner Zohran Mamdani of U.S. Citizenship
Record-High Spoiled Ballots Signal Voter Discontent in Ireland’s 2025 Presidential Election
Philippines’ Taal Volcano Erupts Overnight with 2.4 km Ash Plume
Albania’s Virtual AI 'Minister' Diella Set to 'Birth' Eighty-Three Digital Assistants for MPs
Tesla Unveils Vision for Optimus V3 as ‘Biggest Product of All Time’, Including Surgical Capabilities
Francis Ford Coppola Auctions Luxury Watches After Self-Financed Film Flop
Convicted Sex Offender Mistakenly Freed by UK Prison Service Arrested in London
United States and China Begin Constructive Trade Negotiations Ahead of Trump–Xi Summit
U.S. Treasury Sanctions Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro over Drug-Trafficking Allegations
Miss USA Crowns Nebraska’s Audrey Eckert Amid Leadership Overhaul
‘I Am Not Done’: Kamala Harris Signals Possible 2028 White House Run
NBA Faces Integrity Crisis After Mass Arrests in Gambling Scandal
Swift Heist at the Louvre Sees Eight French Crown Jewels Stolen in Under Seven Minutes
U.S. Halts Trade Talks with Canada After Ontario Ad Using Reagan Voice Triggers Diplomatic Fallout
Microsoft AI CEO: ‘We’re making an AI that you can trust your kids to use’ — but can Microsoft rebuild its own trust before fixing the industry’s?
×