Bug-hit Chepstow school set to re-open today (From Free Press Series)

Bug-hit Dell Primary, Chepstow school set to re-open today

9:29am Friday 22nd February 2013 in News

THE CHEPSTOW school at the centre of a bug outbreak will re-open this morning after 'deep-cleaning' which the school hopes will eradicate "any bugs" present in the school.

The Dell Primary closed yesterday after 107 of their 406 pupils were struck down with vomiting and diarrhoea. The school is expected to reopen today at 10am.

The school issued advice to parents via its Twitter feed asking all children with symptoms including vomiting and diarrhoea to stay away from the school for 48 hours in line with public health authority guidelines.

Louise Summers’ children Ceri, 11, and Jake, nine, were both struck down by the bug on Wednesday night. She said the illness came on suddenly and both youngsters were violently sick but seemed to recover overnight.

The mum-of-four, 45, said: “It sounds like it could be norovirus. It must have been quite strong what ever it is because they [the children] are quite hardy. They have never had a sickness bug before.”

Sarah Luff, 43, whose son Marley, six, attends the schools said: “It was like it used to be in the war in there. They were standing in line to use the toilets and teachers were mopping the floors. The classrooms were bare.”

Sam Parsons, 18, collecting his brother Zak, eight, said he could see the school was finding it hard to keep up with the cleanup effort because so many pupils were affected.

But William Bebbington, who was collecting granddaughter Charlotte, seven, said the school had dealt well with a difficult situation.

Public HealthWales confirmed the matter had been reported and said it was supporting the council with its investigation.