More than 10,500 Covid cases have been reported in schools in Wales since term began.
New data from Public Health Wales shows that in the three weeks since term began a total 10,551 Covid cases were logged as pupils and staff returned with infection restrictions lifted earlier this month.
But the report adds that "numbers are stable or falling across the health board areas" and the number of cases in the last week is far fewer than in the first few weeks of term.
Heads have warned of chaos in schools as they struggle to cope with the high Covid case load and staff and pupil absence. You can read more about that here
The report shows:
- Rates have risen sharply in children aged 5-11 and 12-16.
- Aneurin Bevan and Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Boards have had the highest recent numbers of cases in people associated with schools
It is the first time Covid data for schools has been reported since the end of the summer term. Public Health Wales said the trends were expected. Younger age groups are unvaccinated and have been mixing more since restrictions eased in August before term began.
Dr Chris Williams, PHW epidemiologist said the higher number of cases among young people has not seen a corresponding rise in serious illness, hospitalisation or death from Covid in all or other age groups. Teachers are also no more at risk than other people in the population, he added.
In the six days to September 30, a total 2,336 Covid cases were reported by schools, compared with 4,187 the previous week.
Dr Williams said a lag in reporting means more cases may come through reducing or levelling what appears to be a fall in cases this week.
Before term began public health experts said they expected cases to rise as schools returned but would then start to decline.
That has been the case in Scotland where schools went back three weeks before those in Wales.
Covid cases have risen in all age groups but for those aged 0-4 , the increase in testing hasn't seen a corresponding increase in case incidence, the PHW report says.
The data, which covers the three weeks since term began for most on September 6 to September 30, shows a total 10,551 Covid cases were reported by secondaries, primaries and “other” schools during that period. “Other” includes pupil referral units, special schools, independent schools and maintained middle schools and nurseries.
Of the total 4,190 were in primaries, 5,478 in secondaries and 883 in “other”.
Dr Williams said more testing among this age group was one of the reasons more cases were being picked up and reported among children aged five to 11 years and those aged 11 to 16. They are also the last unvaccinated group and have been mixing more, along with others, since restrictions were eased nationally in August.
Dr Williams said: "We are seeing here and across the UK among these age groups are higher rates in the last few weeks since early August.
"They are the last unvaccinated group, regulations changed and when they went back to school more cases were picked up in these groups because more were being tested than in other age groups. Also, when they went back to school patterns of behaviour change and people mix more.
"My feeling is that these figures are not surprising as they are the last unvaccinated group and have been mixing more. I find it hard to criticise them for that.
"We are not seeing hospital admissions or severe disease in this age group, or large commensurate hospitalisations in general.
"In the longer term my view is that this (Covid) will become endemic and we need to disassociate the way we look at case data and effect.
"The rate of change in the last week appears to have slowed. As long as schools have adequate precautions teachers are not at greatly increased risk.
"We do think it is important students are back in school and learning."
Colleges
Between September 2020 to 29 September 2021, there were 2,863 reports of new Covid cases across 13 colleges and 51 campuses.
Cases through the pandemic
Cumulatively since September 1 2020 until September 29 2021, there were 30,703 reports of new Covid cases across 1,466 schools; 7780 cases in staff and 22923 in pupils.
From a total of 1,573 schools across Wales, this means 93.2 % of schools that have had a Covid case. 93 schools have had only one case.
PHW stressed that cases in an education setting do not necessarily mean infection took place there.
Since September 1 2020 a total of 7,780 Covid cases have been reported among school and college staff
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