COVID stats update: more than 3000 Wirral schoolchildren self-isolating

Thousands of children in Wirral are self-isolating due to Covid-19 cases in their schools.

Julie Webster, Wirral Council's director of public health, said there were just over 3,300 pupils self-isolating in the borough at a meeting of the authority's Policy and Resources Committee last night.

She added that around 250 school staff were also self-isolating.

Ms Webster noted that while these were big numbers, most children in the borough were still going to school.

As a percentage, around 6% of pupils in Wirral are self-isolating and around 5% of school staff.

The public health director also commented on the rise in Covid-19 cases in Wirral.

In the seven days up to June 28 there were 970 cases of the virus in the borough, at a rate of 299 per 100,000.

Ms Webster said that while this was not translating into many more people going to hospital it was causing disruption, as the isolation figures suggested.

At tonight's meeting, the committee also approved a proposal to allow council officers to decide to temporarily close council-run facilities in the borough if Covid-19 meant it was not viable to keep them open.

This may be due to disruption from school closures making the operation of premises too difficult or because the virus meant they would not be able to operate in a financially viable way.

The proposal went through, albeit with an amendment from Labour councillor Yvonne Nolan to make sure that representatives from the different political groups on the council were consulted prior to any such decision being made.