Staff Accused of Covid Outbreak at Bacup Elementary School

A principal has blamed staff for a Covid-19 outbreak at his school after they attended a party.

Eight staff members at Bacup Holy Trinity Stacksteads CE Elementary School have contracted Covid-19 since the Sept. 5 party, John Aspin said.

Three others, who did not attend, have since been infected and the entire school has had to close.

The staff “put hard work in jeopardy” to keep the school safe, Aspin said.

In a letter to parents posted on the school’s website, Aspin said Lancashire school staff took a “reckless risk” when they attended a party at a former colleague’s home.

He said he had “spent many hours over the weekend” trying to find out why so many staff members were getting sick since he had not been informed about the meeting.

“If I had had knowledge of the event I would have told them that they should not attend because of the risks, but unfortunately I was not informed,” he said.

He spoke of his disappointment “given the amount of time and effort that I, and others, have put into planning safety procedures for the return of children to school.”

The staff, who did not break any government restrictions, “failed to appreciate the big picture” of the spread of the virus, he said.

“I know that everyone will sincerely regret their decision to attend what last year would have been an enjoyable event, but in the current situation it was an ill-advised move, given their responsibilities to the school children and their colleagues.”

Aspin apologized to the parents for the “error in judgment.”