About 50 students at Hammersmith’s Royal College of Music self-isolating after outbreak of coronavirus
By Owen Sheppard, Local Democracy Reporter
About 50 students are self-isolating at a university halls of residence in Hammersmith.
The Royal College of Music confirmed yesterday that a Covid-19 outbreak has taken place at Consort Village halls in Goldhawk Road.
The halls, which contain studio, one-bed and two-bed flats, are run privately by Campus Living Villages.
But a university spokeswoman said the accommodation was “not in lockdown”, meaning unaffected students were able to leave the building.
The outbreak has coincided with a sharp rise in cases in Hammersmith and Fulham. Twenty-four new cases were confirmed in the borough between Sunday and Tuesday.
The spokeswoman also said affected students were being “fully supported” by staff.
It is believed to be the first reported outbreak at a London university, and follows a week of reports of students being locked down in other major cities, including Manchester and Edinburgh.
One new case of Covid-19 has been reported at Royal Holloway University of London, which has much of its campus in Surrey.
The Royal College of Music spokeswoman said: “Our student accommodation is not in lockdown.
“We currently have a small cluster of confirmed cases of Covid-19 at our halls of residence, and these individuals, and those who share their facilities, are self-isolating while being fully supported by staff.
“We have worked with Public Health England and Hammersmith and Fulham council on measures to ensure quick and effective containment and contact tracing.
“We are continuing to monitor the situation, keeping our students and staff informed as appropriate, and following all UK Government guidance.”
Hammersmith and Fulham council leader Stephen Cowan told the Politics Home website: “This is the type of event that we’ve been planning for all summer.
“Our team is fully engaged with everyone affected and doing our best to ensure the infection does not spread.
“It’s absolutely important that people socially distance, wear a face mask, wash their hands and carry hand sanitiser – that’s how we’ll avoid a full second lockdown.”
Pictured top: Consort Village halls in Hammersmith