Schools in west Hertfordshire could now stay open throughout the ongoing swine flu epidemic, health experts have said.

Last week Queens' School, in Bushey, and Central Primary School, in Watford were both closed following outbreaks in the schools.

Queens' reopened on Tuesday, while Central Primary School will reopen on Monday morning.

However, despite the virus spreading to more than a dozen schools this week, the Watford Observer understands the two closures could be the last in the area.

The decision comes after experts said the virus' spread has now moved from a “containment phase” to a “treatment phase”.

Watford, Three Rivers and Hertsmere were all this week declared “areas of sustained transmission” by the Department of Health.

Rose Child, speaking on behalf of West Hertfordshire Primary Care Trust (PCT), told the Watford Observer: “I think we have gone from the phase where we were trying to contain it to a phase where we are now managing the wider transmission.

“We have started to move away from the approach when everyone had to be swabbed and then tested in labs and wait for a confirmation.

“To deal with this we are probably going to see schools recommended not to close.”

The list of affected schools is as follows:

Orchard Primary School Watford;
Parmiter's School, Garston;
Colnbrook School, South Oxhey;
Bushey Manor Junior School;
Kings Langley Secondary School;
St Catherine of Siena Primary School, Garston;
Parkgate Junior School, Watford;
Kingsway Junior School, Watford;
Haberdashers' Aske's School for Girls, Elstree;
Nascot Wood Junior School, Watford;
St Joseph's School, South Oxhey
Haberdashers’ Aske’s School for Boys
Rickmansworth School
Oxhey Wood Primary School, South Oxhey
Westfield Community Technology College, Watford
St Joan of Arc Catholic School, Rickmansworth