WALES’ health minister has said adults in schools play the biggest role in stopping the spread of the virus.

Concerns hit the headlines with two North Wales schools reporting on Monday, September 7, that staff members tested positive for the virus.

Parents have called for stricter measures to be put in place and some called for closures - but a Welsh Government minister has assured the country that children remain safe in their schools.

Responding to concerns at the daily coronavirus press briefing Vaughan Gething, minister for health and social services, said: “It is one of the few positives from coronavirus is that children and young people are much less likely to suffer harm and they are much less likely to spread coronavirus as well. This is in direct contrast to the flu where actually young children can suffer real harm and are much bigger challenge in terms of spreading, not just to other children but adults as well.”

Mr Gething said this fact was part of the evidence that allowed Welsh Government the confidence to reopen schools across the country coupled with a sustained fall in transmission rates across the country at the time.

He continues: “The measures that every school should have in place is how they manage their groups to ensure there are isolated groups and not the whole school mixing. And that means if we do see individual cases we can take part of the school community out to self-isolate whilst others are able to go to school in the manner they are now getting used to with the start of the school year.

“I do not want to see widespread school closures because we know that causes real harm to children and young people and their prospects for the future - as well as their general health and wellbeing.

“We are carrying on with our program – it is safe for schools to be open but it is actually the behaviour of adults that play the biggest risk factor and not children being in school themselves.”

The Leader previously reported that St Christopher's School in Wrexham issued a statement on Monday after they were informed a primary school teacher had tested positive for COVID-19.

The spokesman said: "This is currently an isolated incident and we are working closely with public health Wales and the local authority to ensure that we are putting everything in place to keep everybody safe.

"The health and safety of our pupils and staff is paramount and we will always prioritise this in our decision making.”

The school will be closed until at least September 9.