More than 300 pupils and 30 staff members are self-isolating after outbreaks of Covid-19 in Perth and Kinross schools.
In total, 330 students and 33 members of staff were absent from the region’s primary and secondary schools on Thursday due to positive cases linked to 11 sites.
The worst-affected school is Tulloch Primary in Perth, where 75 students and fewer than three staff are absent due to the outbreaks of coronavirus.
Last Thursday, 316 pupils and 16 members of staff were self-isolating from five schools.
A spokesman said: “We take the safety of our children and young people extremely seriously and have robust risk assessments in place to reduce the risk of transmission of coronavirus.
“We have an established process in place to deal with any cases of Covid-19 identified amongst pupils and staff in our schools in line with national and local health guidance.
“Whenever there is a confirmed case, pupils and staff who are identified as close contacts are asked to self-isolate as a precautionary measure. Pupils are supported to learn at home until they can return to school.
NHS Tayside asks Dundonians to get tested
“For clarity regarding the figures, there would be no requirement for other pupils and/or staff to self-isolate where no close contacts of confirmed cases have been identified.”
Meanwhile, NHS Tayside has issued a plea to people in Dundee to get tested for coronavirus, after the city recorded the highest rate of confirmed cases in Scotland.
The health board said the “simple but heartfelt” plea was being made to help the city break transmission chains.
Dundee double the Scottish average
It comes after Dundee became the local authority with the most coronavirus cases per 100,000 people.
Dundee’s case rate of 247.1 is more than double the Scottish average of 105.9 cases per 100,000 people.
NHS Tayside’s director of public health warned people with no symptoms of coronavirus could be unwittingly spreading it to loved ones.
Dr Emma Fletcher, NHS Tayside director of public health, called on people in Dundee to make a coronavirus test part of their weekly routine.
She said: “Dundee is now the local authority most affected by the Covid-19 virus in Scotland and we must all act quickly to break this chain of infection.
“This is a simple plea on behalf of us all here at NHS Tayside and our partner agencies: get tested.”
Coronavirus in Scotland – track the spread in these charts and maps