SCHOOLS are stepping up their hygiene protocols to protect against coronavirus.

Some Oxfordshire schools have brought in antibacterial gel and tougher cleaning products, as more cases of the flu-like virus in the UK are predicted.

A further 32 were confirmed this afternoon, bringing the national total so far to 85.

Staff and pupils at Chipping Norton School, who had returned from a school trip to northern Italy in February half term, had to be tested for the virus.

Headteacher Barry Doherty wrote to parents on Monday, confirming that none of them had tested positive.

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He suggested that pupils should bring antibacterial hand gel into school, but added that 'stocks of these appear to be very low indeed across all shops'.

Mr Doherty added: "Scientific advice is central during this time and it is clear that good hand cleaning routines and the safe disposal of tissues is essential.

"Thorough hand washing with soap and warm water is expected and the use of alcohol gel hand cleanser is very useful as well as we move around a site with many others.

"Our site staff are regularly checking that soap dispensers remain full. Students are expected to bring their own tissues to school.

"If possible, parents and carers ought to provide their children with a small bottle of cleansing gel to use throughout the day."

The Oxford Mail has been made aware of a hand gel shortage in many shops in the county, including Waitrose on Botley Road.

One of our reporters witnessed a customer buying about a dozen from Boots in Cowley retail park, shortly after news of the virus first broke.

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One woman who tweeted a national radio station this morning simply said: "Oxford has sold out of hand sanitizer."

Retailers including Boots and LloydsPharmacy are rationing the sale of hand gel nationally, after a surge in demand.

Some medical experts have advised that the use of hand gel is not as effective as washing hands with soap and water, though the Department of Health appeared to endorse its use in a tweet today.

Many Oxfordshire schools have been stressing the importance of hand-washing and other precautionary measures, and have been sharing government advice about how parents and children can help to prevent the spread.

King's Meadow School in Bicester is among them, and updated parents in a newsletter on Friday.

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The letter said: "Boxes of tissues and anti-bacterial wipes have been dispersed throughout the school.

"Our cleaning company have informed us that as a precaution, and with immediate effect, they will be switching to a new cleaning product for hard surface areas (desks, door handles) called Virucidal Cleaner BA053-75.

"This conforms to EN14476 Standard designed to prevent the spread of Covid-19 [coronavirus]."

Wootton-by-Woodstock CE Primary School also sent a newsletter to parents today, with information about coronavirus from its chair of governors Richard Bryant.

Dr Bryant is a consultant urological surgeon in Oxford and Cancer Research clinician scientist fellow.

Writing in the newsletter, he said: "It would appear inevitable that we will have cases in Oxfordshire in the near future, and as such we are monitoring the situation very carefully.

"At the present time the school remains open for business as usual, however, we are monitoring the advice issued from the government.

"The key advice for parents, guardians, carers, teachers and pupils is to remain vigilant, be meticulous with regular hand washing with soap and warm water as advised by the authorities, and if anyone starts to feel unwell with possible coronavirus, then to self-isolate and notify the relevant authorities."