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A trio of students at Torquay Boys' Grammar School have reportedly been tested for coronavirus after falling ill on their return from a school trip to virus-hit parts of Italy.

The results apparently came back negative after they returned from a half-term ski trip in the north of the country.

It is thought all pupils and staff were advised to stay at home after they returned at the weekend. Head teacher Peter Lawrence yesterday said the quarantine was just a precautionary move.

He later confirmed the three students concerned had tested negative for COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.

In Cornwall, Penair School in Truro has reversed its decision to remove staff and students who have recently returned from a school skiing trip to northern Italy.

The school had initially said that anyone who went on the trip would have to be collected from the school and remain at home for a fortnight. It added that the decision was taken as a precautionary measure .

The move prompted much concern among parents, some of whom called for the school to be deep cleaned .

Students from Newquay Tretherras also attended the ski trip during the February half-term. It has told parents and pupils that if any children who went to Italy develop flu-like symptoms, they should stay at home.

In an updated statement issued this afternoon - Tuesday, February 25 - Penair School said the affected children and staff are able to return to the school, unless they are showing symptoms of the virus.

It has apologised for any disruption, adding that keeping students safe is its main priority.

It said: "Further to information shared with all parents this morning, we have been in further communication with Public Health England throughout the morning discussing details of the areas visited by our ski trip.

"They have now confirmed that the children and staff can return to school. They have stated if students or staff develop any symptoms relating to the coronavirus they should isolate immediately and call 111. If they have no symptoms they do not need not isolate and can return to school.

"Once again we apologise for any disruption caused, however students well-being is always our first priority."

This morning parents of pupils who went on the trip received a message telling them to collect their children.

It said: "Following an announcement on the BBC News and with guidance from Public Health England we are required to send all children and staff home following the ski trip, to self-quarantine.

"Please contact us to arrange collection of your son/daughter this morning."

GP surgery closed

Meanwhile a GP surgery in Cornwall had to close yesterday following a suspected coronavirus case.

Staff at Saltash Health Centre told patients the practice had to close "temporarily" due to an incident on Monday, February 24, to enable the reception and waiting room area to be cleaned.

Practice manager Neil Parsons could not confirm or deny the reasons of the closure.

It's understood a patient was tested for coronavirus case but the result was negative.

(Image: Google Street View)

Advice from Public Health England

Travellers returning to the UK from northern Italy should self-isolate as part of measures to stop the spread of coronavirus, ministers have said.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said official advice, updated at 8am on Tuesday, has been changed to say that those who have been to northern Italy - north of Pisa - should self-isolate if they have flu-like symptoms.

Speaking on BBC Breakfast, he added: "If people have been to the affected areas that the Italian government have quarantined then they should self-isolate whether or not they have symptoms."

In Italy, where 229 people have tested positive for the virus and seven have died, police have manned checkpoints around a dozen quarantined northern towns.

Schools were closed, theatre performances cancelled, and Venice Carnival celebrations were called off, while producers said filming on the latest Mission: Impossible movie starring Tom Cruise has been halted.

Mr Hancock said the Government was not aware of any Britons who were in the quarantined areas of northern Italy, but he urged anyone there to make contact with the embassy in Rome.

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The minister added that there were no changes to travel advice about going to Italy but those returning and showing symptoms should self-isolate.

He added: "In terms of going to Italy as a whole we haven't changed that travel advice. But we are clear that, if you come back from northern Italy and you have symptoms, then you should self-isolate."

The updated advice said people returning from Iran, lockdown areas of northern Italy, special care zones in South Korea, and Hubei province in China since February 19 should call NHS 111, stay indoors and avoid contact with other people even if they do not have symptoms.

People returning from north of Pisa and Florence in Italy, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Burma (Myanmar) from the same date who develop symptoms should stay at home, avoid contact with other people and also call NHS 111.

The new travel advice comes as World Health Organisation (WHO) director-general Tedros Ghebreyesus warned that, while the spread of the virus around the world is not yet at pandemic stage, it has the potential to become one.

But Mr Hancock said the UK has done a "huge amount" of work preparing in case coronavirus became a pandemic, including setting up testing facilities outside A&Es and preparing home testing kits.

He added: "Since the outbreak became public at the start of this year, we have been doing a huge amount of work to prepare in case this becomes a pandemic.

"Once it gets to that point there isn't a way to stop it coming into the UK in a big way.

"It is not yet clear that it will become a pandemic - the number of cases in China has been slowing over the last couple of weeks and we are relatively confident that information is correct.

"Now there are more cases outside China, but at the moment if those countries get their response right and get the numbers coming down as China has then there still is the possibility this is a relatively small outbreak in the UK.

"We still expect more cases but a the moment there are 13 cases in the UK."

In the UK, 13 people have been diagnosed with Covid-19 caused by the virus, including four over the weekend who had been on the Diamond Princess cruise ship that was held in quarantine in Japan.

The four Britons from the cruise ship are being treated at specialist centres and were among a group of 30 Britons and two Irish citizens who arrived at a quarantine block at Arrowe Park Hospital in Merseyside on Saturday.

Two of the patients are in the Royal Hallamshire Hospital in Sheffield, one is in the Royal Liverpool University Hospital and a fourth was taken to the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle.