Open letter to people in Flintshire from Council Leader calls for continued “support and cooperation to protect health and lives.”

The leader of Flintshire Council has said the Covid “emergency situation is far from over” and has appealed to the public for continued support and cooperation “to protect health and lives.”

The Covid infection rate in Flintshire is the secondest highest in Wales behind Wrexham, it has been driven by the more infectious Kent strain of Coronavirus identified just before Christmas.

Cllr Ian Roberts has written an open letter to “the people of Flintshire” in which he says that during the pandemic “we have all been tested to the full.”

Cllr Roberts, a former teacher, said he understands how difficult homeschooling has been for families and and hopes to “return to normal school provision as soon as it is safe to do so.”

He also says the with the “vaccination plan comes hope. However, the emergency situation is far from over.”

Cllr Roberts letter in full: 

“All of us at Flintshire County Council are grateful for the way in which the vast majority of residents in communities across Flintshire have responded to and coped with the ongoing emergency situation.

We have worked together to comply with the very necessary regulations, and to give each other mutual support. We have all been tested to the full.

As the Council’s Cabinet Member for Education & Youth, and a former teacher,  I understand how difficult it has been for some to home school their children.

To do this at the same time as having to work from home, as many of you have done, or whilst worrying about your family finances whilst furloughed from work will be doubly difficult.

Parents and carers have met this challenge head on. 

We are in admiration of the way that you have helped and guided your children to continue to learn. 

Working within Welsh Government guidelines, and according to the latest scientific evidence, we hope to return to normal school provision as soon as it is safe to do so.

We now have an ambitious vaccine plan for North Wales with all GP practices playing their part alongside the bigger vaccination centres.

With the vaccination plan comes hope. However, the emergency situation is far from over. 

We all need to continue to be vigilant, and follow the restrictions and the guidelines to the letter. We appeal for your continued support and cooperation to protect health and lives.

Thank you for taking the time to read this letter.

Best wishes – stay safe.”

Primary school children across Wales could begin a phased return to school after half-term if Covid infections rates continue to fall.

However if rates remain high in certain areas some “flexibility may be necessary to allow local authorities to respond to the individual circumstances they face.” First minister Mark Drakeford said last week.

Welsh Government said it will be working with schools and education partners “on a phased and flexible return to school after 22 February, if the public health situation continues to improve”.

Latest data from Public Health Wales shows a further 54 people in Flintshire have tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 24 hours.

The key rolling 7 day infection rate benchmark reported today is 229 per 100,000 population.

To put that figure into context, when Flintshire went into a local lockdown in October due to a rapid rise in infections, that rate per 100,00 population stood at 50.