Covid in Wales: How has the first week back to school gone?

Contact groups are no longer required

A decision on vaccinating 12 to 15-year-olds is likely to be taken soon, Wales' education minister has said.

Children have returned to classrooms over the past week as Covid cases continue to rise.

Rules about face coverings and bubbles have changed since last term and schools are meant to change measures according to local risk.

Jeremy Miles has answered fresh questions that have arisen since the new term got underway.

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The education minister talked to BBC Wales Education Correspondent Bethan Lewis about vaccinating children, face masks and the possibility of schools closing again.

Will 12 to 15-year-olds be vaccinated?

Mr Miles is awaiting advice on vaccinating schoolchildren

The chief medical officers of the four UK nations are likely to make a decision about this soon, with officials in Wales waiting to hear what this is.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), which gives advice on vaccines, said last week it was not giving the green light because of the "marginal benefit" of the jab to young people who are at low risk from Covid.

But it did not factor in other potential benefits such as reducing the disruption to education, which is now being looked at by the chief medical officers.

Asked if he thought vaccinating more secondary school age children would minimise the impact on school, Mr Miles said he thought it might, but added: "We're politicians, we're not scientists, so we rely on that advice."

Could schools close again because of Covid numbers?

The priority is to make sure that children can continue to learn in school, Mr Miles said.

He believes it is an "unhelpful" question at the start of term when everyone is excited to be back and having face-to-face teaching.

"That is what I want us to continue to be able to provide," he added.

Why are close contacts able to go to school?

When exams return they will be modified to take account of challenges pupils have faced

Under-18s no longer have to self-isolate if they are close contacts of someone who has tested positive for Covid.

Before the summer, large numbers of children had to stay away from school if a classmate or teacher tested positive.

Now the Test, Trace and Protect system takes over, and Health Minister Eluned Morgan said "rather than expecting individual heads to make what are often very difficult judgements", there will be be a more "tailored" approach.

It is hoped this will ensure children miss as little school as possible, with Mr Miles saying: "We've got to minimise that (time away from lessons), consistent with keeping everybody safe."

Why do some schools enforce face coverings and others don't?

Schools are expected to adopt the new Covid rules by 20 September at the latest

The "routine" use of face coverings in classrooms is no longer recommended and the education minister said before the summer holidays that school bubbles would go.

But come the new term, they are still in place in many areas.

From now on, measures are supposed to be based on local risk assessments and Mr Miles said schools have until 20 September to comply with this.

He said that wearing face coverings could have an impact on wellbeing and learning.

"There are interventions and mitigations that we have put in place, and we may well end up having to put them in place again," he said.

"We are absolutely not through Covid and we continue to monitor this on a daily basis.

"If we're in a situation where there needs to be further restrictions, then we will unfortunately have to do that."

When will schools get CO2 monitors?

The Welsh government is funding a £6m technology programme to boost air purity in schools

Before pupils returned to classes, the Welsh government announced a £6m investment in CO2 (carbon dioxide) monitors and ozone disinfecting machines to help schools and colleges manage Covid.

But it soon unravelled when concerns were raised about the safety and practicality of the ozone machines.

No final commitment had been made to buy those devices, the Welsh government said, and their use was being reviewed.

Mr Miles said they were announcing the "earmarking of money" but he conceded they could have "spelt it out a bit more".

CO2 monitors will be rolled out "during the autumn term" he said, adding when pressed "certainly in this half term".

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