A CONCERNED Whitehaven mum has taken her six-year-old son out of his primary school rather than risk him becoming infected with coronavirus.

Even though there are no confirmed cases of covid-19 at Valley Primary School in Whinlatter Road, Whitehaven, where her son is a pupil, Nicola Banks, 41, says she is not prepared to take that risk because the potential consequences are so serious.

As a single mum who suffers from asthma, Nicola fears that any official confirmation of any infection at the school would come too late to protect her and her relatives, including her parents and adult son who has a permanent disability after a car accident.

“I’m not prepared to wait until there is a case so that the government can advise the head teacher to close the school,” said Nicola, a single parent, of Rutlland Avenue, Whitehaven.

“There’s a chance that it might be my child who could get infected. He’d then come home and infect everyone else in the house. I’ve got asthma so I’m vulnerable; and if I get ill who’s going to look after me?”

Nicola said she had agonised last Thursday over what to do for the best. “But in my heart of hearts I felt I had to protect him; and that’s my overriding responsibility. I’m a single parent and I’m also a carer for my adult son. I also work part-time and only get a small wage.

“I made the decision that night and the next morning called the head teacher and told him of my concerns and said my child wouldn’t be coming to school until I was satisfied it was a safe place for him to be.

“He totally understood; but he said he has to follow guidelines.

“He said he didn’t think they’d take action [against me] due to the seriousness of what’s happening in the world. I said I’d always stand by my decision. My son’s health comes first.”

Because her parents - both in their 60s - are part of her support network, she felt she had to protect them too, said Nicola, who works in a hostel for homeless people. She added: “I’ve spoken to other parents and people are terrified that if they take action they’ll get into trouble.

“But I’m 41-years old and I’m going to do what I feel is right for my child. It’s my duty to do what I think I need to do to protect him.”

Meanwhile, the Republic of Ireland has already moved to closed schools as part of its effort to contain covid-19 and in Northern Ireland, First Minister Arlene Foster warned parents yesterday to prepare for schools to shut down for at least 16 weeks as coronavirus containment measures are stepped up.

Sinn Fein Deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill said that in her view, schools should shut now as they have done in the Republic of Ireland. She said: “People are taking decisions in advance of government and my own personal opinion is that schools should close now.”

But Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has said that keeping schools open in England was presently the best course of action. His comment came as a blanket school closures programme was announced in European nations such as Spain and France.

Mr Williamson said sending pupils home would put a big strain on key workers who would also have to stay at home. But Geoff Barton, head of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) told a conference head teachers would authorise absence if parents took the decision to keep their children off lessons.