Schoolchildren have been told to self-isolate for 14 days after a member of a school community tested positive for coronavirus.

Stanborough Secondary School in Garston has completely shut until the end of the month, interim head teacher Kaz James has confirmed in a statement to parents and carers on the school's website.

According to the statement, the school closed on Friday due to a suspected case of Covid-19 - and it has since been confirmed by a hospital that an adult suspected of having the virus does have it.

It is not clear whether the adult concerned is a teacher, staff member, or parent - but it seems clear from the head teacher's statement that they have been inside the school.

Mr James said: "Further to my communication to you on Friday 13th March about the school closing because of a suspected case of COVID-19, this is to advise you that the hospital has confirmed that the concerned adult has tested positive for COVID-19 and is undergoing treatment. 

"I contacted Public Health England (PHE)  and was informed that we must close the school for 14 days. In addition, all students and adults from the school must self-isolate for 14 days.

"We have contacted public health who have informed us that 'unless parents are in regular contact with their children of a distance of 3 meters or less, or they present with the symptoms, there is no need to self-isolate'. 

"The school will therefore remain closed and re-open on Monday 30th March. The safety and well-being of our school community will always be our priority.

"We have arranged for the school to be deep cleaned during the closure, to help prevent the virus from spreading. 

'This is a difficult time for the family in question and I am therefore requesting that you are mindful of how you communicate this information to members of the community, ensuring factual information.

"Our thoughts go out to the family of the person in question and we pray for a speedy recovery. 

"We will send detailed communication about how we are going to ensure that your child is effectively learning during their time at home.

"You will receive clear instructions of how your child can access learning resources and real-time interaction with teachers."

Stanborough Primary School has also closed, until March 23.

As of 9am yesterday, 21 people had tested positive for Covid-19 in Hertfordshire.

There have been 21 deaths in the UK linked to the virus, including a man in his 80s who died at Watford General Hospital on Monday.