Dear Parent/Carer

Coronavirus (Covid-19)

Bridgend County Borough Council’s primary concern is for the safety of children in our schools and we will continue to act in their best interests.

While the situation regarding coronavirus is developing quickly, please be assured that the local authority is working closely with schools, Public Health Wales and Welsh Government in order to implement any necessary measures to protect pupils, staff and visitors from the spread of coronavirus.

While there are currently no identified cases in Bridgend, your child’s school is following specific advice issued by Welsh Government in relation to the management of coronavirus in schools. 

National advice, as of today (12 March 2020), remains very much a case of ‘business as usual’, but I wanted to reassure you that the local authority is closely monitoring developments, both locally and nationally.  In this respect, the local authority is currently developing a strategy to ensure that effective plans and resources are in place to respond appropriately to this changing situation.

For information, there is a range of advice available to the public on the Public Health Wales, Welsh Government and UK Government websites in relation to coronavirus.

In addition, more specific advice for parents and carers can be found on the Public Health Wales website and I would encourage you to access this routinely. Further general advice in relation to travel to or from the UK can also be found on the website of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO).

In the meantime, your support as parents/carers is critical to our strategy to fight the spread of coronavirus.  I can only reiterate that the best way to prevent infection is to avoid being exposed to the virus through good hygiene.

Therefore, please advise your child to wash their hands:

• before leaving home;
• on arrival at school;
• after using the toilet;
• before food preparation;
• after breaks and sporting activities;
• before eating any food, including snacks;
• before leaving school; and
• on returning home from school.

Please also advise your children to:

• avoid touching their eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands; and
• avoid close contact with people who are unwell.

If you are worried that your child may be symptomatic for coronavirus, please call NHS Direct Wales on 0845 46 47 or 111.  Do not go directly to your GP or other healthcare environment.

Please be assured once again that the local authority is taking all possible steps to respond to this situation.

Yours sincerely

L. I. Harvey

Lindsay Iorwerth Harvey (Mr)
Corporate Director – Education and Family Support