TULLIBODY'S community has been praised for their response to the recent enforced temporary school closure due to a Covid-19 outbreak.

As reported in the Advertiser last week, Banchory, Abercromby and St Bernadette's primary schools, as well as Tulach nursery, began a period of temporary remote learning on Thursday, May 20, and pupils made the return to schools on Monday, May 31.

During this period, the library at Tullibody South Campus was also closed.

A notice sent to parents, seen by the Advertiser, explained that the decision was advised by NHS Public Health following an increase of Covid-19 cases in the Tullibody community.

Speaking at the time, Dr Graham Foster, director for public health for NHS Forth Valley, suggested the local cases may be linked to cases in Glasgow City.

With schools now almost one week back to classroom learning, Cllr Graham Lindsay, Clackmannanshire Council's education spokesperson, praised the local community for its efforts in helping to get kids back in school.

He said: "The return to remote learning for three of our primary schools and an ELC (early learning centre) in Tullibody was challenging but I would like to thank all staff at these establishments for meeting those challenges head on and responding so quickly.

"They were delighted to welcome children back safe and well to in-school/ELC learning earlier this week.

"While I know this has been a difficult period for the parents and carers of children in the schools and ELC affected, I would like to thank them and the wider community who responded to requests for testing and took up offers of earlier vaccines.

"The willingness of families to go for Covid-19 testing and share test results with schools and ELCs has been appreciated throughout.

"The collective efforts of the community all helped to ensure that the number of people testing positive could be brought to a level low enough that allowed us to return to in-school learning within a short timescale.

"I would urge people to continue to go for Covid-19 testing and follow Scottish Government guidelines and rules on hygiene to ensure that we protect our families and loved ones."

Mobile testing units are no longer available in Tullibody however anyone can visit the unit in Alloa on a Thursday, Friday, Sunday and Monday.

Visit tinyurl.com/8sabcbrh to order a testing kit for home delivery.