Concerns raised over parents doing school run while awaiting coronavirus test results

Liam Randall, local democracy reporter

Concerns have been raised over parents in Flintshire doing the school run while awaiting test results for the coronavirus.

It follows a review being carried out into how schools in the county have been operating since the pandemic began in March last year.

Some of the main issues highlighted include a lack of adherence to self-isolation rules and youngsters mixing outside school time by going to sleepovers, birthday parties and playdates.

Flintshire Council said there had also been occasions where childcare had been provided by people in contact with someone who had tested positive, as well as lift sharing by both parents and school staff.

A reminder has now been sent out to urge everyone to follow requirements to stop the spread of the virus.

A report set to be discussed by councillors later this week states: “Over the past few months a number of Flintshire schools have been affected by pupils who have been forced to self-isolate, due to positive cases in their school ‘bubbles’.

“The vast majority of families have complied with the requirements set out by Public Health Wales and the Welsh Government.

“However, with children and staff returning to schools after the extended Christmas break at a time when a new variant of the COVID-19 virus is known to be in circulation, it is really important to remind ourselves of why we still need to adhere to these rules.

“Over recent weeks there has been a steady increase in the numbers of people testing positive to COVID19 in the county and, during this time, our colleagues in schools and the Test Trace and Protect Team have picked up on some ‘concerning trends and misconceptions’, which goes against the current health protection guidance.”

Safety

Schools are currently closed for most pupils in Flintshire until the February half term due to the rising number of cases of Covid-19, with online learning put in place instead.

However, they remain open for children of key workers, as well as vulnerable learners.

The report states that schools in the county have generally coped well with the new requirements and are managing health and safety risks appropriately.

The document will be discussed by members of the local authority’s education, youth and culture scrutiny committee when they meet on Thursday (January 28, 2021).