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Four students catch Covid after illegal freshers' week party at St Andrews

A student at St Andrews leaves the campus at the weekend, when a voluntary lockdown was in force - Stuart Nicol /Stuart Nicol photography
A student at St Andrews leaves the campus at the weekend, when a voluntary lockdown was in force - Stuart Nicol /Stuart Nicol photography

Four students at St Andrews University have caught coronavirus after attending an illegal freshers' week party.

More than 40 people are also self-isolating following the gathering, which took place in a hall of residence before Sally Mapstone, the University principal, asked students on Friday to observe a voluntary weekend lockdown.

Students were urged to stay in their rooms and not to attend pubs or parties, after three separate “sporadic” cases were confirmed at the university last week.

There has been concern about the impact that a return of university students, and freshers' week socialising in particular, will have on infection rates.

Two students make their way back to University halls of residence after going out to pick up essential food items on Saturday  - Stuart Nicol/Stuart Nicol Photography
Two students make their way back to University halls of residence after going out to pick up essential food items on Saturday - Stuart Nicol/Stuart Nicol Photography

Speaking at her daily coronavirus briefing on Monday, Nicola Sturgeon said she sympathised with students facing curbs on their social lives but pleaded with them to follow the rules. In Scotland, members of no more than two households are permitted to meet up, although harsher rules are in place in parts of the west of Scotland.

“Student life is about much more than your lessons, lectures and what you learn," the First Minister said. "It’s about the experience, a way of life, you want to immerse yourself in all of that including the messier bits along the way.

“Nobody wants to be in a position where students are not able to do that, so I totally sympathise with that. But the advice we’re giving is for a reason.”

There had already been an outbreak confirmed linked to student halls at Edinburgh Napier University, with 11 students testing positive there last week.

In an update to St Andrews students, Professor Mapstone thanked those who had observed the unofficial lockdown at the weekend.

Addressing the freshers week party, which took place during the week beginning September 7 and was linked to the four new cases, she added: “Quite apart from the fact that the party broke the law, and our own very clear guidelines on socialising and safe behaviour, the ripples from this single incident have consequences for all of us.

"Please do not arrange or attend parties unless they are only attended by your immediate household group".