Pupils and staff from three NI schools sent home as precaution against Coronavirus - after returning from ski trips in Italy

The travel groups from Cambridge House Grammar school in Ballymena, Banbridge Academy and Limavady Grammar school have been told to self-quarantine for 14 days.

Around 50 Cambridge House staff and pupils were in the Lombardy region in the north of Italy but did not visit nine towns affected by the Covid-19 infection.

Limavady Grammar took an unconfirmed number of pupils to Marilleva in Italy while around 88 in a Banbridge Academy group travelled to the Trentino area.

Neither region is thought to be affected by the virus outbreak.

It’s understood that nobody from any of the trips is showing any symptoms.

Cambridge House Grammar school principal Elma Lutton said: “Taking cognisance of advice from the Public Health Agency and following advice from the Education Authority, the pupils and staff on that ski trip have been sent home for 14 days’ self-quarantine.

“This is precautionary, none of them were in those nine towns, none are showing any symptoms. They were in the Lombardy region but went through Milan airport.”

A spokesperson for Limavady Grammar School said: “A group of Year 10 pupils recently returned from Marilleva, Italy and travelled through Bergamo, Milan Airport on Saturday, February 22.

“Following the advice of the Public Health Agency this morning, all pupils and staff who travelled from Italy have been advised to self-isolate for 14 days (until March 9) as a precautionary measure.

The spokesperson added: “This situation is fluid and may change with further advice from the Public Health Agency.”

The new strain of coronavirus originated last year in Hubei province in China. It causes a respiratory disease called Covid-19 and produces flu-like symptoms.

Italy has put 11 towns in Lombardy and Veneto areas into quarantine after 229 people tested positive for coronavirus and seven people have died.

People returning to the UK from Northern Italy have been advised to self-isolate for two weeks if they have flu-like symptoms.

The advice also applies to anyone who recently returned from Italy’s quarantined towns even if they have no symptoms.

There have been almost 80,000 confirmed cases of the virus globally, with the majority of these in China, and over 2,600 deaths.