First case of coronavirus confirmed among pupils after reopening of schools

Maribor, 2 June - A primary school pupil in Maribor has tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 in what is the first positive case among children after they started gradually returning to schools on 18 May, and the first confirmed case in the country's second largest city after 30 April.

Ljubljana
National Institute of Public Health epidemiologist Mario Fafangel speaks to the press at the government's daily coronavirus briefing.
Photo: Anže Malovrh/STA

Ljubljana
National Institute of Public Health epidemiologist Mario Fafangel speaks to the press at the government's daily coronavirus briefing.
Photo: Anže Malovrh/STA

Ljubljana
National Institute of Public Health epidemiologist Mario Fafangel speaks to the press at the government's daily coronavirus briefing.
Photo: Anže Malovrh/STA

Ljubljana
National Institute of Public Health epidemiologist Mario Fafangel speaks to the press at the government's daily coronavirus briefing.
Photo: Anže Malovrh/STA

Ljubljana
National Institute of Public Health epidemiologist Mario Fafangel speaks to the press at the government's daily coronavirus briefing.
Photo: Anže Malovrh/STA

Breda, the Netherlands
Coronavirus test.
Photo: dpa/STA
File photo

The head teacher of the Ludvik Pliberšek School wrote on Tuesday the school had been notified of the infection by the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ).

The 17 classmates of the infected third-grader, who was asymptomatic, and teacher were sent into a two-week quarantine, while the remaining pupils at the school will continue going to class. The classmates' parents are allowed to continue going to work.

This decision was made after the NIJZ conducted an assessment of the situation, establishing all of its preventive measures were being implemented. The NIJZ told the STA the infected child had not had close contact with children from other classes.

Mario Fafangel of the NIJZ later told the press that this was probably a case of an infection contracted within the child's family, with other family members also infected. One case was confirmed on Monday by midnight while an infection was also confirmed today for some of the contacts.

While the detailed figures will be published on Wednesday, the tracing of contacts is continuing. The original source of the infection has not yet been identified.

The development comes after the first three grades returned to school on 18 May. Ninth-graders followed a week later and the remaining primary school children returned on Monday.

It also comes after Maribor declared itself a coronavirus-free zone last Thursday, having been without a new Covid-19 case since 30 April.

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© STA, 2020