SIXTEEN schools in Worcestershire have 'closed bubbles' sending students home after a positive Covid-19 case affected them.

Worcestershire County Council said the partial closures followed 13 positive cases of coronavirus among students as of yesterday.

A council spokesman said: "16 schools have had closed bubbles, nine of which have now re-opened. Related to those 16 schools there were 13 positive cases. In addition there has been four further positive cases notified but the pupils had not started back-so no impact on the school.”

The council were unable to confirm which schools have been affected.

However, Worcester News has previously reported Perdiswell Primary School in Worcester sent home one of its Year One classes after two children tested positive for Covid-19.

King’s St Alban’s sent home children in years five and two to isolate after siblings received positive tests.

Elsewhere, the head teacher at Burlish Park Primary, in Stourport, said one person has tested positive and all pupils and staff in their reception year group had been sent home for 14 days.

And finally, a student from Bishop Perowne CE College tested positive for the virus on Monday.

The number of partial school closures has increased.

Last Friday, a spokesman for the council said: “13 schools have had closed bubbles, two of which have reopened. Related to those 13 schools there were nine positive cases. In addition there has been three further positive cases notified but the pupils had not started back-so no impact on the school.”

Nationally, the number of schools that were not fully open on September 17 due to suspected or confirmed cases rose to 4 percent, up from 1 percent on September 10.