SCHOOLS and a doctors’ surgery have quashed rumours claiming their operations had been embroiled in the coronavirus outbreak.

Various reports had surfaced online suggesting incidents had taken place across the region in relation to the diseases, with a handful of confirmed cases in the UK and thousands globally.

One Bournemouth school issued a statement following a “malicious rumour”, while a Poole doctors’ practice said there was no truth in reports that had been made on social media regarding a patient.

The Aspirations Academies Trust, which oversees Jewell Academy in Jewell Road, Bournemouth, issued a statement hitting out at false claims that had surfaced among people connected with the school.

It had been suggested that a London-based relative of pupil had coronavirus.

On Wednesday evening, the school issued a strong response on the matter.

A spokesperson for Aspirations Academies Trust said: "A malicious rumour was started today falsely claiming that a London-based relative of a child at Jewell Academy has coronavirus.

"This is not true. There are also no cases of coronavirus at Jewell Academy.’’

Meanwhile, there had also been a suggestion that a patient at Birchwood Medical Centre in Creekmoor wearing a face mask had been ushered out of the waiting area and told to contact 111 for advice as they had been in contact with someone who had coronavirus.

When contacted by the Daily Echo, a spokesman for the medical centre said: “There is no truth in this.”

Earlier this week a school in Southampton was evacuated and closed due to coronavirus fears.

St Mary’s Independent School in Bitterne Park was placed in lockdown after children presented with symptoms similar to those for the virus.

The site is undergoing a deep clean to remove any potential traces of the virus.

Further reports claimed the Southampton school had implicated an educational establishment in Bournemouth.

It had been suggested that a teacher at Hill View Primary School could have a connection to St Mary’s. However, yesterday the school said they were not aware of any coronavirus-related situations at the Hill View Road site.