***New Updates 1.7.20***
***As a result of Kirsty Williams’ announcement regarding schools re-opening in Wales, please refer to our ‘Check in, Catch up & Prepare section of our website’ that has key information including the Return to School Risk Assessment guide – all of which can be found here.***
The main feature in the news right now is Coronavirus, a type of virus common across the world. However, Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) is a new strain first identified in Wuhan City, China.
Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) presents with flu-like symptoms including a fever, a cough, or shortness of breath. The current evidence is that most cases appear to be mild, however symptoms may progress to a severe pneumonia.
Generally, Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) can cause more severe symptoms in people with weakened immune systems, older people, and those with long-term conditions like diabetes, cancer and chronic lung disease.
Maesteg School encourages all staff, parents and pupils to keep up to date on COVID-19 by checking the NHS Wales website here.
You can also find the latest advice for parents and carers here, where there are important tips on how to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
We will be informing pupils of how they can minimise infections, including COVID-19.
We encourage pupils to operate personal hygiene measures, as advised by the NHS and Public Health Wales. Visual displays are now in place in toilets and NHS posters are displayed around the school of how to minimise infection.
Should any specific cases of COVID-19 be reported within the School, staff will work alongside Public Health Wales experts to look at what further measures and actions, over and above ‘normal measures’, are required. We will continue to follow this guidance from the Local Authority, in collaboration with the NHS and Public Health Wales.
Any pupils/family members need to liaise with the NHS line directly, should they feel unwell with flu-like symptoms. People who have travelled to, and returned from Italy, and other ‘Category 1’ areas have already had specific advice from government and health officials. They will be assisted accordingly by the professionals in the health service, should they become unwell. The NHS 111 hotline has been established to provide information and respond to concerns and queries
School Educational Visits:
Educational visits planned for Easter will continue unless there is any directive from the Foreign
Commonwealth Office to avoid essential travel. We are monitoring this situation carefully in consultation with the Local Authority. We will be providing further information for parents regarding school educational visits later this week.