Covid cases in schools across Wales have fallen again but hundreds of pupils are self isolating, including some in key GCSE year 11.
The total number of new coronavirus cases among staff and pupils in schools in the six days to May 19 was 32, compared to 49 the previous week. Primary schools reported 20 cases while 12 more were reported in secondaries.
Half of Wales’ 22 local education authority areas reported no Covid cases in schools in the six days to May 19.
But where there have been cases, more than 400 pupils have been asked to self isolate across Wales according to councils who responded to requests for information from WalesOnline.
Separate data from the Welsh Government shows school attendance is averaging 90%. Latest provisional school attendance figures, released on May 19, show that an average one in 10 pupils missed school over the week of 10 May to 14 May.
In Swansea 66 year seven and year six pupils are self isolating after one case each in year seven at Dylan Thomas Community School and year six in Casllwchwr Primary. Swansea Council said. There are 36,000 pupils in 94 schools and settings in the city,
In Cardiff a primary school remains closed until Monday, except for its nursery, after five staff and 23 pupils tested positive for coronavirus in the last two weeks.
A number of pupils from Millbank Primary are still self isolating and none can return to classes until Monday or Tuesday, the headteacher has said.
In Conwy 159 pupils in year nine at Ysgol Bryn Elian in old Colwyn are self isolating after an undisclosed number of cases there. There have also been cases at Ysgol John Bright in Llandudno and Ysgol T Gwynn Jones primary in Conwy Bay. Conwy Council said that was data as of May 20.
In Flintshire 181 pupils are self isolating.
Flintshire County Council’s Chief Officer for Education and Youth, Claire Homard, said: “There is a confirmed (Covid) case in Mold Alun in year 11 and also a case in year eight.
“As a result 25 pupils in year eight, 72 pupils in year 11 and 42 other pupils of mixed ages in Mold Alun are now self isolating. There are also 7 pupils isolating from Ysgol Maes Garmon who use the bus service.
“Isolating pupils will now be receiving their learning offer online and will be able to return to school on 25 May. Provision will also be made for pupils entitled to free school meals who are now having to isolate via a direct payment from the council.
“There is also a case in Hawarden resulting in 35 learners there having to isolate. There is one case at Ysgol Castell Alun but no pupils isolating as a result. These numbers represent a very small percentage of our school population.”
A Public Health Wales spokesman said its data was subject to rapid change which explained why council and PHW figures might not correspond: “There are a number of methodological reasons why these numbers might not correspond.
“Factors include different data sources, when data is reported and analysed, when cases occurred, and what is being counted (for example PCR confirmed cases compared to probable or lateral flow positive cases).”
The areas in Wales where no schools reported new Covid cases in the six days to May 19
Blaenau Gwent
Caerphilly
Torfaen
Anglesey
Gwynedd
Wrexham
Vale of Glamorgan
Merthyr Tydfil
Ceredigion
Pembrokeshire
Powys
The areas where schools reported Covid cases in the six days to May 19 (with previous week’s figures in brackets)
Monmouthshire 1 (equal)
Newport 3 (-10)
Conwy 3 (+3)
Denbighshire 1 (equal)
Flintshire 3 (1)
Cardiff 14 (-12)
Bridgend 1 (+1)
Rhondda Cynon Taf 1 (-2)
Carmarthenshire 1 (equal)
Neath Port Talbot 2 (+2)
Swansea 2 (equal)
Since September 2020 there have been 10,564 reports of new Covid-19 cases across 1,270 schools in Wales.. From a total of 1,573 schools across Wales, this represents 80.7 % of schools that have had at least one case. A total of 209 schools have had only one case.
