Covid-19 cases reported by eight out of 10 secondaries

MORE than 2,000 cases of coronavirus have been reported in 695 maintained schools across Wales since term began in September.

Eight in every 10 secondary schools have reported at least one case with nine of the 22 councils in Wales recording cases in all of their secondary schools.

The information is laid out in overall data on cases and prevalence in schools and colleges from Public Health Wales published for the first time yesterday.

It shows numbers of coronavirus cases in schools and colleges in each local council and health board area between September 1 and November 4. During that time 279 coronavirus cases were also reported by 12 colleges.

Every secondary school in Cardiff, Vale of Glamorgan, Merthyr Tydfil and Bridgend has reported at least one Covid-19 case since term began.

The other five council areas to have reported cases in every secondary school were Blaenau Gwent, Newport, Neath Port Talbot, Torfaen and Wrexham.

Schools and colleges in Ceredigion are the least affected. No coronavirus cases have been reported in any of its four secondary schools or any of its further education (FE) colleges.

And only 2.8% of its 36 primaries have reported any cases since term began. These are all the lowest rates in Wales.

Across Wales between September 1 and November 4 there were 2,101 reports of new Covid-19 cases across 695 schools. Of these 951 were cases in staff and 1,150 in pupils.

With a total of 1,573 maintained schools across Wales, this means 44.2% of schools have had at least one coronavirus case since the start of term in September.

Of the 695 schools affected 390 have had more than one case and 305 one case only.

The figures came as three more schools in Cardiff yesterday reported disruption as a result of positive Covid-19 cases.

A positive case was confirmed at Christ the King Primary School with 29 pupils from reception and five members of staff advised by Public Health Wales to self-isolate for 14 days after they were identified as close contacts of the confirmed case.

Two positive cases were confirmed at Thornhill Primary School, with 57 Year 2 pupils, 55 Year 6 pupils and 11 members of staff told to self-isolate.

And a positive case of Covid-19 was confirmed at Bishop of Llandaff Church in Wales High School. It meant 32 Year 7 pupils were told to self-isolate.