Welsh Government issues advice to students on reducing spread of COVID-19 this Christmas

The Welsh government have issued advice to students on reducing the risks of spreading COVID-19 this holiday season.

In a document produced today, 2 December, the Welsh government underlined low to high risk activities to help students assess their exposure to COVID-19.

They say students should ‘plan ahead’ to keep family and friends safe over the Christmas period and that they are ‘in control’ of what they do.

“If you want to go home and enjoy your time away from university, you need to plan now to make sure COVID-19 does not ruin your break or put your family and friends at risk,” a spokesperson said.

“We have grouped a range of activities you may be thinking about into risk categories to help you assess your exposure to COVID-19.

“Read the following practical information to help protect yourself and others.”

The ‘practical information’ ranges from activities which are ‘very high risk’ to ‘high’, ‘medium’, ‘low’ and ‘lowest’ with accompanying information on each activity.

Very high risk activities include:

• Throwing or attending any house parties

The spokesperson said: “House parties mean you will be around a high number of people, in a small space in an environment with no COVID-19 safe measures.

“This type of socialising is high risk for picking up COVID-19. Many students don’t have symptoms, so you have no idea who is infected.

“They pass on the virus easily to large numbers in such parties. In fact, these are potential COVID-19 super-spreading events.”

High risk activities include:

• Going to other peoples’ houses to socialise or eat
• Going to pubs or clubs to consume alcohol with friends they are not living with
• Having anyone stay overnight in their house or flat
• Staying overnight in someone else’s house or flat
• Housemates planning to have people stay overnight in their house or flat
• Housemates undertaking activities flagged as high or very high risk
• Playing a contact sport such as rugby or football
• Sharing a car with people outside their household

Medium risk activities include:

• Going to a pub or club to consume alcohol only with people they live with
• Playing indoor non-contact sport such as squash or badminton
• Using an indoor gym or taking part in indoor group exercise

Low risk activities include:

• Meeting up with friends outside of their accommodation for food and drinks
• Being in work if they are a health or social care student or worker

Lowest risk activities include:

• Socialising in their own house or flat with the people they live with
• Celebrating the end of term with people they live with inside accommodation
• Cooking and eating at home with the people they live with
• Going out to eat with people they live with
• Being in work
• Visiting their university campus for educational purposes
• Exercising outdoors alone or with the people they live with
• Playing an outdoor non-contact sport such as tennis, golf or cricket
• Using an outdoor gym or taking part in outdoor group exercise
• Essential food shopping
• Non-essential shopping alone or with the people they live with
• Sharing a car with the people they live with
• Travelling by public transport

The Welsh Government also advise students who are returning home should do so safely by minimising contact with others not in their household, making a travel plan and getting a test just in case.

For more information and advice, visit https://gov.wales/higher-education-coronavirus-guide#section-55792.