Covid: Wrexham, Flintshire and Ceredigion pupils to learn from home

A total of four counties in Wales have announced a switch to online learning

Schools in three more parts of Wales will move to online learning amid increasing coronavirus concerns.

Face-to-face learning for children in Wrexham, Flintshire and Ceredigion will end on Friday.

They join schools in Anglesey and Denbighshire who previously announced the changes after the UK moved to alert level four last week.

Currently, the Welsh government has not told schools to finish in-person learning.

But Wrexham council said the switch was decided after an increase in Covid cases in the area, with many children and young people having to isolate.

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There is scope for key workers' children to still attend school

The authority's current cases stand at 650.9 per 100,000 people, according to Public Health Wales (PHW) data up to 9 December.

The authority's education member Phil Wynn said he appreciated the "worrying the situation" but assured the best learning would be provided for pupils at home.

Flintshire's rates of Covid-19 have been rising consistency over the last few weeks, the council said, with 558.6 people per 100,000 testing positive as of 10 December.

Both are above Wales' average of 499.4, but Ceredigion's case rate is 370 per 100,000, the lowest in Wales.

But Ceredigion council said its case rate had shown the second-highest increase in Wales over the past seven days.

Flintshire council leader Ian Roberts said staffing levels have been affected due to rising cases and they wanted to "do what we believe is necessary to safeguard our children, staff and communities".

Key workers' children, vulnerable children and those with parents who cannot work from home in all four counties will attend school where required however.