A Lichfield school which has a confirmed swine flu case has admitted that new guidelines means temporary closure is unlikely.

As The Lichfield Blog revealed yesterday, a pupil at Lichfield Cathedral School  has tested positive for the illness and is being treated at home.

But despite the risk that other pupils could have caught swine flu from the infected student, the school confirmed that closure would only be an option in extreme cases.

A spokesperson told The Lichfield Blog:

“As advised by the Government, the NHS, South Staffordshire’s Public Health team and the Health Protection Agency, school closures are no longer recommended unless the school is unable to function normally,for example, if so many staff are off sick that it is no longer possible to keep the school open.

“We are following the guidelines closely – if a child shows symptoms of flu, they are either kept at home or taken home. They then seek diagnosis and treatment from their GP.  It is no longer necessary for those who have come into contact with the infected person to be treated unless they themselves are showing symptoms.”

Founder of Lichfield Live and editor of the site.