About 500 children in South Ayrshire have been off school self isolating because of COVID-19, figures show. 

On November 10, 529 pupils were absent from classrooms. That is more than double the number of the previous month when 190 kids were at home on October 8. Fifty seven school staff, including 24 teachers, were off work for virus related reasons on November 10 in South Ayrshire.

A total of 12 teachers and five staff members had COVID-19 or symptoms.

 READ MORE: Parent concerned as full Ayr primary school class self-isolating

Ayrshire teacher and EIS union representative Tom Robinson said moving to level 4 will “increase the anxiety felt by many teachers over the level of risk to their health, their pupils’ health and the health of their families and the community.”

He added: “In areas that are now being placed under Level 4 restrictions, the current policy of keeping schools operating as normal on a full-time basis is at odds with delivering effective virus suppression.”

Statistics show parents of 31 children in the area refused to let them go to school over virus fears on November 10.  The postal code with the highest percentage (18 per cent) of pupils absent was KA5, which includes Tarbolton.