Coronavirus cases in schools leaped to more than 400 in the last week, the highest level since they closed early for Christmas after a surge in cases then .
Thousands of pupils are currently self isolating and whole schools and year groups have shut in some areas this week.
In the six days to June 30 a total 411 Covid cases among staff and pupils were confirmed in schools - that's 119 on the previous week. Of these 197 cases were in primaries, 179 in secondaries and 35 in “other” which includes independent schools and pupil referral units.
The 411 cases compares to 696 in the week ending December 3 last year as parents began to take their children out of school to avoid self isolating over Christmas. That resulted in schools closing early for the end of term.
The summer term officially ends in Wales on Friday July 16 in some areas and Tuesday July 20 in others. Some are taking inset days and will shut earlier so dates vary slightly.
The number of Delta variant cases in Wales has more than doubled in a week while the figure has risen sharply this is not translating into a rise in Covid-related hospital admissions in Wales. You can read more about that here.
Schools in all 22 local education authorities across Wales reported Covid cases in the six days to June 30, the first time this has been the case since schools re-opened to all pupils just before Easter.
Cases fell in schools in seven council areas, they were: Conwy, Cardiff, Bridgend, Vale of Glamorgan, Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire.
The biggest leap in cases was in Caerphilly which saw 33 more cases in schools in the six days to June 30, up from 10 to 43. Flintshire recorded 28 more cases than last week.
One thousand pupils were sent home to self-isolate on June 30 after a "cluster" of Covid cases at Ysgol Gyfun Cwm Rhymni in Fleur-de-Lys near Blackwood.
Rhyl High School was also closed on June 28 after a number of cases.
Schools have been urged not to send pupils home to self isolate en masse and Education Secretary Jeremy Miles said earlier this week that they will decide their own Covid mitigations next term, depending on local situations with coronavirus..
Cases in FE colleges fell from 51 to 40 in the last six days.
Reporting the data PHW stressed cases reported by schools does not necessarily mean that's where infection took place.
"The presence of cases linked to a school or educational institution does not necessarily imply that transmission occurred in that setting," PHW said.
" Local intelligence is required to determine whether transmission is likely to have occurred within such institutions."
