Covid third wave: Tenby school moves online over concerns

A school with 1,200 pupils has closed its site to students as a "precautionary measure" over Covid concerns.

Pupils at Greenhill School in Tenby, Pembrokeshire, will be taught online from Monday due to the number having to self-isolate and increasing case rates.

"Clearly, our locality and the school are part of this picture of increased rates," said head Raymond McGovern.

It comes as Wales' first minister said Wales is at the start of a third wave.

Pembrokeshire has the fifth highest rate in Wales of Covid cases for those aged under 25 - at 55.2 cases for every 100,000 of the population, according to Public Health Wales figures for this week.

Greenhill School's year 10 age group is already isolating at home due to a number of positive Covid cases.

The school has undergone enhanced cleaning - especially of "high frequency touch points" - but Mr McGovern said the numbers having to self-isolate due to being a close contact or waiting for test results is affecting both pupils and staff.

A mobile testing unit is being set up in the Tenby area and a statement on the school's Facebook page said staff would continue to work from the site as usual - and the school hoped to reopen to pupils on 28 June.

Mr McGovern said a "very significant track, trace and protect operation" is required due to the number of pupils and staff identified as close contacts to positive cases or waiting for a test result.

He added the school has been shut temporarily as "it gives us the best chance of breaking the chain of transmission".

"We are doing and will continue to do all we can as a school to reverse this trend and minimise the impact on individuals' health," he said.

"But this will require everyone to do their part."

Case rates in Wales have been increasing week-on-week, with Wales' overall case rate at 24 cases per 100,000 people.