In a letter to students today, Principal Sally Mapstone announced 11 confirmed cases amongst students living in four halls of residence and private accommodation in the town, with more than 40 isolating:
Dear Students
cc Members of Staff
I am sorry to report to you that we have this afternoon learned of a sudden and significant increase in Covid infections amongst students currently in St Andrews.
At this stage we have 11 confirmed cases affecting students living in four halls of residence, and private accommodation in town, and more than 40 isolating.
You will know that for many weeks, with your help, we have kept Covid levels here very low, so this rapid increase in transmission is especially concerning. Unfortunately, we expect to see the number of confirmed cases rise over the next few days. It seems very likely that this is the new UK variant strain of Covid.
In these circumstances, we must ask you to do the following:
- Please follow the Covid Code. Wear a mask, do not socialise outside your household, wash your hands regularly.
Do not leave town. Students in St Andrews have already been asked not to travel over Spring Break. It is now of vital importance that you heed and act on that advice. You may feel perfectly well, but there is now a very significant risk that you could carry Covid to family and friends, or the people with whom you travel.
If you think you may be infected or are displaying any Covid symptoms you must self-isolate immediately and arrange to take a Covid test. Please do not book a test at the University Testing Centre if you have symptoms. You must take a test at the NHS facility at Victory Memorial Hall. Further information about Covid and how to get tested is here.
We are in discussions with Public Health Scotland and NHS Fife and we will update about next steps as soon as possible.
Sally Mapstone
Principal and Vice-Chancellor
Photo: John Cairns
