Secondary schools and colleges to begin online learning from Monday

Secondary schools and colleges in Wales will move to online learning from Monday, December 14 as part of a national effort to reduce transmission of coronavirus, Education Minister Kirsty Williams confirmed today.

The Minister made it clear that, thanks to the efforts of education staff across the country, schools and colleges are "safe and secure environments", with almost half of all Welsh schools having had zero covid cases since September.

However, it is also recognised that education settings being open can contribute to wider social mixing outside the school and college environment.

By making this decision, the Minister felt it was important to make a ‘clear, national direction’ to take pressure off individual schools, colleges, local authorities, parents and carers.

The Minister said her decision followed expert advice from Wales’s Chief Medical Officer showing that the public health situation in Wales was deteriorating.

The latest TTP data shows that rates of Covid-19 have further increased across Wales and have now exceeded 370/100k with a test positivity of 17%.

The R rate in Wales has increased to 1.27 with a doubling time of just 11.7 days.

Education Minister Kirsty Williams said: “Every day, we are seeing more and more people admitted to hospital with coronavirus symptoms.

“The virus is putting our health service under significant and sustained pressure and it is important we all make a contribution to reduce its transmission.

“In his advice to me today, the CMO recommends that a move to online learning should be implemented for secondary school pupils as soon as is practicable.

“I can therefore confirm that a move to online learning should be implemented for secondary school pupils and college students from Monday next week.

“We recognise, as we did during the firebreak, that it is more difficult for primary and special school age children to undertake self-directed learning.

“That is why we are encouraging primary and special schools to continue to stay open.

“Having spoken to local education leaders, I am confident that schools and colleges have online learning provision in place.

“This will also be important in ensuring that students are at home during this time, learning and staying safe.

“Critically, and this is very important, children should be at home.

“This is not an early Christmas holiday, please do everything you can to minimise your contact with others.”

“The education family in Wales has pulled together so many times this year to make a real difference to the course of this virus and ultimately to save lives and I know we can do the same again.

“Together we will keep Wales safe.” 

Eviction protection extended for Covid-hit businesses

Retailers, pubs, restaurants and other businesses affected by coronavirus will now be protected  from eviction until the end of March 2021, Minister for Economy, Transport and North Wales Ken Skates (pictured) has announced.

As part of the action Welsh Government is taking to support the business community from the impact of Covid-19 the moratorium against forfeiture for the non-payment of rent, which was due to end on 31 December, will now be extended until 31 March 2021.

While businesses should continue to pay rent wherever possible, the latest measure will ensure no business is forced out of its premises if it misses a payment between now and the end of March 2021. The move will help ease the burden on a range of sectors, including retail and hospitality, at what continues to be a time of immense challenge.

Since the start of the pandemic Welsh Government has put together the most generous package of support for business anywhere in the UK, worth nearly £2bn. This includes £340m that is available through the latest round of the Economic Resilience Fund to support businesses affected by restrictions that came into force on 4th December.

Ken Skates, said: “Despite all of our ongoing efforts to reduce the spread of coronavirus, instances of the virus remain worryingly high. We recognise that the ongoing restrictions and wider behaviour changes are putting significant pressure on many of our businesses and we are working hard to quickly support our businesses with the most generous support offer for business anywhere in the UK.

“As part of that package of support, I am pleased that we are also able to extend measures to prevent forfeiture for the non-payment of rent. This will protect many businesses from eviction and help to secure jobs, safeguard businesses and shield our economy over the critical months to come.

“We will continue to put pressure on the UK Government to provide further support as we progress towards a prosperous post-pandemic Wales.”

The Deputy Minister for Housing and Local Government, Hannah Blythyn said: “Supporting Welsh businesses whilst balancing the need to protect our most vulnerable and stop the spread of the virus has not been an easy task. Ensuring retailers, pubs, restaurants and other businesses will be protected from eviction until the end of March 2021 is just one of the ways we helping our town centres to not just get by but come back better as they safely continue to trade during this challenging time.

“Giving our towns a sense of place is more important than ever, and in line with our Transforming Towns agenda we will continue to work collaboratively with partners to build sustainable town centres for the future where businesses can thrive.”

"Brilliant" response to Christmas scarecrow competition

Organisers say the response to the Christmas Scarecrow trail has been "absolutely brilliant". 

The contest, which has seen a large number of creative and colourful entries across the town, is being run by the Christmas Festival Committee to help keep up seasonal spirits after this year's event fell victim to the pandemic.

The Town Mayor Austin "Chem" Cheminais, who chairs the festival committee, said: "I estimate well over 50 scarecrows all over Llangollen.

"I know of  40 locations that are on the list above and think there are a lot more out there that I don't know about.

"They all look amazing, people in Llangollen are so creative and imaginative.

"I hope people have fun finding them to see for themselves how fantastic they are."

He added: "Santa and his elves will judge the competition in the week leading up to Christmas, and there are two prizes of £25.

"If anyone wants to help choose the winner they can send a picture of their favourite to santa@btinternet.com."

Parents and carers of self-isolating children eligible for £500

Parents and carers on low incomes with children who are self-isolating will be eligible for a £500 support payment.

The Self-Isolation Support Scheme was launched last month to provide financial support to people on low incomes or facing financial hardship when they were asked to self-isolate by the NHS Wales Test Trace Protect service.

It will now be extended to help parents and carers who have to take time off work to look after their children when they have to self-isolate because of a coronavirus outbreak in their school or childcare setting.

First Minister Mark Drakeford said: “Working from home is not an option for everyone so when a child has to self-isolate, this can be a stressful period for parents and carers.

“A significant number of people are losing income because they are unable to work while looking after children who cannot go to school or their normal childcare setting because of coronavirus. 

“Extending this scheme will help ease the financial hardship some parents and are facing, helping them care for their children.”

The Self-Isolation Support Scheme will be extended to parents and carers on low incomes who meet the criteria for the main scheme. To qualify, they must have a child attending a school or childcare setting up to and including in year eight – or up to age 25 if the learner has multiple and complex additional needs – and who has received a formal notification to self-isolate from Test Trace Protect or their education or childcare setting.

Minister for Housing and Local Government Julie James said: “We are committed to doing everything we can to support people and protect people’s health and wellbeing.

“The £500 self-isolation payment will help us give people the financial security they need to stay-at-home and break the cycle of transmission. As well as support the wider efforts of schools and other services to control the spread of the virus

“Local authorities have been working hard throughout the pandemic to support their communities and I thank them for their hard work. I will continue to keep the scheme under review to ensure that those most in need receive the support they need to self-isolate and reduce transmission.”

Parents or carers who are not on benefits but meet the other criteria and are at risk of financial hardship can apply to the scheme under the discretionary element to support.

People will be able to apply for the self-isolation payment via their local authority website from 14 December and payments will be backdated to 23 October.

Covid-19 testing centre for Market Street car park

* A testing centre will be located on Market Street car park.

The Betsi Cadwaladr Health Board has just announced on its Facebook page that a walk-in and drive-in testing centre will open in Llangollen this Saturday, December 12.

They say the aim is to make it easier for people in the area to get tested for Covid-19 closer to home.

The testing centre will be located on the Market Street car park and will be open from 9.30am until 3.30pm.

The board says no appointment is needed for a test. Anybody with symptoms of COVID-19 can attend for testing.

From 4.30pm today (Wednesday) the testing unit in Ruthin will close.

* For more details about testing, go to: https://bcuhb.nhs.wales/covid-19/book-a-covid-19-test/

Date set aside for possible town council by-election

* Former town councillor George Hughes.

A by-election could be held in February to fill the vacancy on Llangollen Town Council left by the recent resignation of Cllr George Hughes if the seat is contested.

The Returning Officer at Denbighshire County Council has issued this information.

In Wales, any by-election that was scheduled to take place after March 16, 2020, or was due to a vacancy that occurred during the pandemic could not take place before February 2021. 

Any person wishing to stand as a candidate at the by-election should contact the Returning Officer at Denbighshire County Council on 01824 706114 or 706118, or email elections@denbighshire.gov.uk<mailto:elections@denbighshire.gov.uk> to obtain nomination papers. 

Completed nomination papers must be presented in person by appointment with the Returning Officer or her Deputy at County Hall, Ruthin no later than 4pm Friday, January 22, 2021. 

Should the election be contested polling will take place on Thursday February 18, 2021.

Changes being made to self-isolation payments

Denbighshire County Council is informing residents of amendments to the Self-Isolation Covid Support Scheme launched by Welsh Government last month.

The Self-Isolation Support Scheme was set up by Welsh Government to provide financial support to people on low incomes or facing financial hardship when they were asked to self-isolate by the NHS Wales Test Trace Protect service.

This will now be extended to help parents and carers who have to take time off work to look after their children when they have to self-isolate because of a coronavirus outbreak in their school or childcare setting.

Parents and carers on low incomes with children who are self-isolating will be eligible for a £500 support payment. To qualify, they must have a child attending a school or childcare setting up to and including in year eight – or up to age 19 if the learner has multiple and complex additional needs – and who has received a formal notification to self-isolate from Test Trace Protect or their education or childcare setting.

Denbighshire County Council will be administering the payments on behalf of Welsh Government and application forms will be available on www.denbighshire.gov.uk from 3pm Monday, 14 December.  

The council says it will update residents when the application process opens and provide information on how to apply.