The Asymptomatic Spread of Coronavirus

Part of 2. Questions to the Minister for Education – in the Senedd at 2:55 pm on 25 November 2020.

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Photo of Kirsty Williams Kirsty Williams Liberal Democrat 2:55, 25 November 2020

Thank you, Leanne. I recognise the immense strain that teachers have been under since schools returned to full opening in September, just like the immense strain that all of our public sector workers have faced. I want to say that evidence to date from the latest Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies paper and the technical advisory cell paper says that, when looking at the teaching population as part of the wider population, teaching is regarded by the Office for National Statistics to be a low-risk profession. Although we have got incidents of transmission within a school setting, especially from staff to staff, that is a concern, and that's why it is really, really important that senior management teams and the school governors in particular schools ensure that all steps are taken to adequately follow the operational guidance that has been made available.

With regard to antibody testing, antibody testing was carried out amongst a significantly appropriate sample of teachers, especially those who had been working in hub scenarios, remembering, of course, that 500 schools in Wales never closed. So, that was done and those individuals have been followed up with further antibody testing to help us understand the epidemiology behind the disease.

It is early days for lateral flow testing. We need to ensure that the pilot in Merthyr Tydfil in the schools and colleges goes well there. There are active discussions going on at the moment to move that pilot into areas of the RCT area, and as soon as we're in a position to be able to work with our schools' local education authorities to carry out further lateral flow testing as a way of protecting and providing reassurance and minimising disruption, then I will come back to the Chamber and give full details of that. We're not in a position to do that as of today.