Schools on swine flu alert

Schools across the borough have been sent a letter of ‘high alert’ after Swine flu was confirmed six miles away in Bury.

The Department for Schools, Children and Families sent a letter to every school, informing that the alert level has been raised to 6, and there could be a raised possibility of the disease spreading as the pupils face their summer break.

The Director of Public Health also issued a warning, to take precautions when out and about, as leaving the borough to go on a summer holiday could heighten the chance of coming into contact with someone with Swine flu.

Rochdale has not had any confirmed cases of Swine flu.

Oldham and Bury are the closest towns to have logged patients with the disease.

A spokeswoman for Rochdale Borough council said: “We have stressed the importance to all schools to be extra vigilant as we approach the end of term when many staff and pupils will be going away on holiday and returning at the start of the new school term from many different countries.

We continually stress the need for hygiene to staff following the Catch It, Bin It, Kill It message and are continually updating schools on any information received either from DCSF or Public Health/NHS.”