Schools in Sefton will see new Covid-19 safety measures put in from today (Friday 18 September).
Adults visiting schools in Southport, Formby and across Sefton are now required to wear face coverings when visiting or entering the school premises.
Also, just one adult will be able to enter the premises for drop-off and pick-up.
Parents and carers dropping off or collecting their children are asked to arrive and leave promptly and not to congregate at the school gate or in the playground.
And, school staff are being asked to wear face coverings when they come out onto the playground.
With numbers of Covid-19 cases rising across the region, and Merseyside having been identified by the Government as an “area of concern”, these extra measures are needed to help prevent the spread of the virus.
Yesterday’s figures revealed that Covid-19 cases in Sefton have risen to 53.2 per 100,00 (147 new cases), up from 42.3 per 100,000 (117 new cases) last week.
Cases are even worse in the rest of the Merseyside region with figures elsewhere:
Knowsley 114.7 (173), 61.6 (93)
Liverpool 107.8 (537), 67.5 (336)
St. Helens 102.4 (185), 65.3 (118)
Wirral 94.1 (305), 72.8 (236)
Although children and younger people are less likely to be affected seriously by Covid-19 or may even be asymptomatic, Sefton Council’s concern is that they could take the virus home to potentially vulnerable relatives for whom coronavirus could be very serious or even fatal.
Commenting on the measures, Sefton Council Cabinet Member for Children, Schools and Safeguarding, Cllr John Joseph Kelly said: “It is important that our children get back to school and resume their education and I would like to thank all of our teachers, schools and education staff, parents and carers and the pupils themselves for working with us to achieve this as safely as possible.
“However, we know that since the borough’s schools have reopened, we have seen a number of class and year bubbles as well as school staff being sent home to isolate owing to positive test results or people showing coronavirus symptoms.
“I am pleased at the way each of these schools has dealt with the circumstances by following Public Health England guidelines and liaising with the council to manage the situation.
“I hope these extra measures will help reduce the virus spreading in our school community and prevent more pupils and staff being sent home but if they don’t, we may have to contact schools about potential further measures.”
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