Covid: Harlow school staff and pupils tested ahead of return

Staff and pupils at Passmores Academy in Harlow, Essex, were tested on-site

Pupils and staff have been undergoing Covid tests before returning to school after the Christmas holidays.

Face masks are also obligatory in classrooms in England in a bid to to reduce the spread of the virus.

At Passmores Academy in Harlow, Essex, more than 800 staff and pupils signed up for lateral flow tests as the new term began.

Two cases of the virus were detected within the first hour of on-site testing, co-principal Vic Goddard said.

He said the new rules were "another layer of protection for people".

"It's all about decreasing the probability of us catching it and passing it on," he said.

"We've already had a couple of positives this morning in the first hour; that means those young people aren't mixing with others so other people stay safer."

Co-principal Vic Goddard said testing pupils and staff was "important"

Student Olivia said she was happy to be tested upon arriving at school.

"If you don't get Covid-tested, you wouldn't know if you have the virus or not and it could spread then more people would pass away and it would be really sad," she said.

Last year the school had the lowest attendance rate Mr Goddard had seen in his 21-year career.

There was a point when one in three pupils had the virus.

"It's a big responsibility," Mr Goddard said.

"If I make a poor decision and someone catches it, you can't help but feel in some way liable for that."

Mr Goddard said the situation was "really personal" and emotional as the school had lost staff and students had lost family members to the virus.