[AD] Let’s Keep Wales Safe With A Safe Return To School This Autumn Term

The COVID-19 pandemic has now been a part of our daily lives for well over 18 months. The changes to our daily lives over this period that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused has been huge. 

This summer in Wales, we have  started to see some of the normalities of everyday life return, and it has been a very welcome return. During the summer we have finally been able get out and about, going to places that quite honestly have been no-go places for a long time. 

During the summer we went away on a camping trip to Devon. This was after all the restrictions had been lifted in England so it was a bit of shock. However, we decided to continue with our own protective measures as if we were still in Wales.

We’re still going to keep doing these safe behaviours even now Wales is at alert level 0 to both keep ourselves safe and protect those around us. This is what we will continue to do as the girls go back to school. 

We have also visited a splash park, we have been shopping in the city centre which was fantastic for us and our nine year old twin girls. The cinemas have re-opened which is brilliant because we have missed going for a family trip to the cinema to see the latest releases. 

We are very much a cycling family and we got to visit Bike Park Wales which was a fantastic day out. 

I have been collaborating with the Welsh Government and the Keep Wales Safe/DiogeluCymru campaign over the last six months. The Keep Wales Safe campaign is the Welsh Government’s official response to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and on August 7th, Wales has moved down to Alert Level 0 and this is the first time since March 2020. Even though Alert Level 0 gives us more freedoms which is something we should all enjoy, it’s very important that we do this in a responsible way, especially with the return to school for the Autumn term and to make sure we implement regular testing. 

Now we’ve moved to Alert Zero 0 there are no legal limits on the number of people who can meet. This includes in private homes, public places and at events and of course all businesses and premises can open. This has come about because in Wales 67.6% of the Welsh population has now been fully vaccinated and we have been leading the way in the vaccination programme. Of course just because we are in Alert Level Zero that doesn’t mean everything is a free for all and a complete ending of restrictions. There are still some key rules in place in law to safeguard all those people in educational environments. 

With the schools returning in September, we as a family still intend to use masks in certain environments such as walking into school. We’ll still practice good hygiene and will keep regularly washing our hands. The school is still making sure that the children are washing their hands regularly using the school Wash Fountains. And we’ll meet friends outside when the weather allows, or make sure we have open windows and good ventilation when we invite people inside our home.

As we get ready for the start of the new school year on September 2nd, it’s very important that all learners start testing before going back to school, college or childcare. Taking 2 lateral flow tests a week before you enter the educational setting will give you peace of mind that you are safe to return. You can order a test online, or collect from your local community centre or pharmacy. It’s very important that you report your results online or through calling 119 whether they are positive, negative or void. 

If your child has any symptoms – no  matter how mild they may be –  you should keep them at home, isolate and get a test done. Even if they don’t have any symptoms it’s still important to take a rapid lateral test twice a week and always report the results. 

It’s important to follow your school or college rules on face coverings. Year 7 and above need to wear them on school transport. 

Everybody in Wales over the age of 16 is now eligible for vaccinations and will get a letter inviting them to an appointment so it’s very important you go and get your vaccination. Regular hand washing is still a very important part of our fight against COVID-19. My wife and I are now fully vaccinated and it definitely gives you peace of mind that if you get the virus  then you won’t be as ill and hopefully won’t need to go to hospital. 

As our nine year old twin girls return to school we will still be practicing all the safe measures that we have applied throughout the pandemic. Wearing masks is something that we will continue to do, especially on the school run and we won’t be hanging around for a chat after we have dropped the girls off. Yes we will love to see life to get back to normal, but our normal will be done in a very sensible and safe way because we not only want to keep ourselves safe, but also to keep our family and friends safe and the best way to do that is to make informed decisions and act in a responsible way. 

Let’s keep Wales safe together in Alert Level Zero especially when the schools return this September. 

This post is in collaboration with The Welsh Government.