Entire Pembrokeshire school closes after staff and pupils test positive for Covid-19

Both upper and lower Portfield Schools have closed to all pupils and staff. Credit: Google Maps

An entire school in Pembrokeshire has closed after one staff member and a number of pupils tested positive for Covid-19.

Portfield School in Haverfordwest confirmed both its upper and lower schools are closed as a precautionary measure.

It added that a number of pupils are waiting to be tested for the virus.

The Pembrokeshire schools lies in one of the few counties in Wales not placed under local lockdown restrictions.

17 areas, including one town and one city, are currently subject to tightened rules, which include a ban on leaving or entering the area without a reasonable excuse.

Pembrokeshire is one of seven local authority areas in Wales not placed under local lockdown. Credit: PA Images

Around 2.4m people in Wales are living in areas subject to tightened restrictions, following a rise in Covid-19 cases.

Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion, Carmarthenshire, Powys, Gwynedd, Anglesey and Monmouthshire are the areas mostly free of local lockdowns.

A lockdown came into force in Bangor, Gwynedd, on 12 October, while Llanelli in Carmarthenshire was placed under lockdown on 26 September.

Between 5 and 10 October, there were 15 new cases of Covid-19 identified in Pembrokeshire, according to Public Health Wales data.

It was the second lowest number of new cases identified in one county, after Ceredigion, where 10 cases were found.

On Friday, the leader of Pembrokeshire County Council urged residents to continue following guidelines to prevent the spread of coronavirus:

"If we do not work together this will affect our recovery and impact on us all," Cllr David Simpson said.

"We hear updates about Covid-19 figures across Wales and how Pembrokeshire has low numbers – we can keep the numbers low if we do the right things. We need to be reminded that we are not through this – keeping our guard up helps keep Covid away."

Portfield School said it has contacted the staff, pupils and families who are potentially affected by the cases, and a deep clean is now underway.