PARENTS in Wrexham are being reminded that back to school guidance is still very important.

Wrexham Council have stated that with all pupils being back in school full time, following the guidelines in place is the key to keeping them safe.

A spokesperson for the council, said: "This is good news for young people and their families who can return to a more normal routine following the sometimes frightening early days of Covid-19 when transmission rates and deaths were a lot higher than they are now.

"But this can also give us a sense that Covid-19 is going away and will soon be gone, and for this reason, now is a good time to remind everyone that the guidance we issued a few weeks ago is still crucial to ensuring the September term is a safe and positive experience for everyone and that the numbers affected by Covid-19 in Wrexham remain low.

"We can all play a part."

The council has put together the following guidance of what parents and carers can do in order to keep their child safe:

  • Follow any advice issued by your school.
  • Be patient - we have never been in a situation like this before, and your school might need to adapt a little as we go along.
  • Remind your child to cover their mouth when they sneeze – wherever they are. Catch it, bin it, kill it.
  • Remind your child to clean their hands regularly – including before and after they use school or public transport, and wherever they are asked to by school staff.
  • If you drop off and collect your children, please do not congregate at the school gates. Keep at least two metres away from other parents (outside your extended household), follow instructions from your school, and do not hang around longer than needed.
  • Do not send your child to school if they – or anyone in their extended household – has symptoms.
  • Do not send your child to school if they – or anyone in their extended household – has been advised to take a Covid-19 test (for example, by contact tracers).
  • Please ensure your child has a face covering for use in communal areas when in school.
  • Check out school transport arrangements and the latest updates on school meals via their website.

As some of the strict restrictions of lockdown have been lifted, the council stated that it is natural that residents have felt safer from the virus, which has resulted in people not taking all the precautions necessary to keep their communities safe.

They also stated that social distancing seems to have been forgotten about by some and not everyone is paying close attention to hand hygiene

Some people might be giving lifts to anyone either to work, shops, school or college, but by sticking to the rules, including social distancing, cleaning our hands and avoiding car-sharing, we can prevent the spread of Covid-19.

They also added that residents should not be surprised if they see some positive tests in the County Borough, as these can be reduced if we follow the correct guidelines and is essential we all do this in order to keep ourselves, our families, our friends and our communities safe.

Cllr Phil Wynn, lead member for education, added: "Schools have worked really hard to welcome back all their pupils and now is the time for parents, pupils and staff to stick to the guidance in order to ensure minimum disruption to school routines and to prevent children having to socially isolate or – even worse – spreading the virus to vulnerable members of families, friends and the wider community."

Cllr Hugh Jones, lead member for communities, partnerships, community safety and public protection, said: "Now is a very critical time for us all. Covid-19 is still in our communities and remains a huge threat to the new freedoms we have recently been given.

"The lockdown in Caerphilly should serve as a reminder to us that keeping those freedoms is down to all of us and if we all follow the guidelines we can play our part in keeping our communities safe."