Saltus Grammar School lower primary pupils will have to quarantine after a youngster in Year 1 was in contact with a person who tested positive for the coronavirus, the health department revealed today.

Deryn Lavell, the head of school, told parents that children from the pupil’s class were advised to stay at home yesterday.

It was announced later that out of an “abundance of caution”, all 60 Year 1 pupils would have to quarantine for 14 days.

Ms Lavell said that the child in question had not become ill, but the 14-day quarantine was a necessary precaution.

Year 1 students at the Devonshire campus, known as Saltus Cavendish, will stay at home while health officials carried out contact tracing and testing.

Ms Lovell said there were no plans to increase Covid-19 precautions at the school, but that a deep cleaning of the affected classroom would be carried out.

She added that school classes were “prepared to move to virtual if we have to”.

Ms Lovell said: “Teachers, staff and families have done a good job of adhering to the rules.”

The news came after the health ministry reported that an adult resident with no travel history who had displayed Covid-19 symptoms had tested positive for the coronavirus.

The resident had a close contact who was associated with the school who had also become symptomatic.

A ministry spokesman said the school had been notified along with businesses visited by the positive case and “relevant persons” had been told to quarantine.

Kim Wilson, the health minister, said: “The Ministry of Health has taken these actions out of an abundance of caution in this instance.

“My team continues to work diligently with the case and we will provide further updates once there is new information.”

Ms Wilson added: “I would like to take this opportunity to once again remind the public that the Ministry of Health will contact you only if you have been identified as a close contact and need further instructions to quarantine or get tested.

“Otherwise, I continue to urge everyone to wear their masks, wash their hands, avoid closed spaces, crowded spaces and close contact settings."

Police later announced plans to clamp down on bars and restaurants that failed to enforce Covid-19 safety rules.

Martin Weekes, the Assistant Commissioner of Police, said police would be “stepping up Covid compliance checks” from tonight.

The latest case was the only positive recorded from 593 test results that came back to health officials yesterday.

Case isolation and contact tracing has started.

Bermuda now has 227 total confirmed positive cases, with 18 active cases, who are all under public health monitoring,

None are in hospital and total of 200 people have recovered.

The death toll linked to the disease remains at nine.

The average age of confirmed positive cases is 53 and the age range of the positive cases is from 7 to 101.

The average age of fatalities is 74 and the age range is 57 to 91.

A total of 113 cases came in from overseas and 92 were on-island transmissions with a known contact.

A total of 21 cases were on-island transmission with an unknown contact, and one is under investigation.

The previous case to be investigated was reported in September.

Bermuda’s country status remains at “sporadic cases”, and the seven-day average of the real time reproduction number is less than one.