Agenda item

Council notes that the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 is infecting children and young people at an unprecedented rate, yet schools in Wales have reopened with no remedial mechanisms in place to protect pupils and staff.

As it’s an airborne virus, ventilation and clean air is key in the battle against SARS-CoV-2, as recognised by the Joint Union Guide to Improving Ventilation in Schools and Colleges (Sept 2021) and the Welsh Government strategy to provide CO2 monitoring equipment. However, monitors are not a solution to poor ventilation: they just indicate that there is a problem and remedial action should be taken.

This council notes that the ozone technology proposed by the Welsh Government, for which £3.3m funding was allocated, has been put on hold following safety concern by medical experts. We also note HSE advice that the most suitable equipment for use in rooms with poor ventilation are:

·         High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters which are no less than 99.97% efficient at capturing human-generated viral particles associated with SARS-CoV-2 (Centres for Disease Control and Prevention; Ventilation in Buildings; update 2 June 2021.) and:

·         Ultraviolet-based devices 

This council therefore calls on Welsh Government to urgently consider approving, tendering and funding UV-C and /or HEPA units, as recommended by the HSE and validated as being appropriate and safe for use by the WHO, The Lancet and other leading medical authorities and publications.

Council considered the following Notice of Motion submitted by Councillor Glynog Davies:-

‘’Council notes that the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 is infecting children and young people at an unprecedented rate, yet schools in Wales have reopened with no remedial mechanisms in place to protect pupils and staff.

As it’s an airborne virus, ventilation and clean air is key in the battle against SARS-CoV-2, as recognised by the Joint Union Guide to Improving Ventilation in Schools and Colleges (Sept 2021) and the Welsh Government strategy to provide CO2 monitoring equipment. However, monitors are not a solution to poor ventilation: they just indicate that there is a problem and remedial action should be taken.

This council notes that the ozone technology proposed by the Welsh Government, for which £3.3m funding was allocated, has been put on hold following safety concern by medical experts. We also note HSE advice that the most suitable equipment for use in rooms with poor ventilation are:

·         High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters which are no less than 99.97% efficient at capturing human-generated viral particles associated with SARS-CoV-2 (Centres for Disease Control and Prevention; Ventilation in Buildings; update 2 June 2021.) and:

·         Ultraviolet-based devices 

This council therefore calls on Welsh Government to urgently consider approving, tendering and funding UV-C and /or HEPA units, as recommended by the HSE and validated as being appropriate and safe for use by the WHO, The Lancet and other leading medical authorities and publications’’

The motion was duly seconded.

The proposer and seconder of the Motion were afforded the opportunity of speaking in support thereof and outlined the reasons for its submission, as set out in the Motion.

The following amendment to the motion was proposed by Councillor R. James and was duly seconded:

‘’Council notes that the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 is infecting children and young people at an unprecedented rate.

As it’s an airborne virus, ventilation and clean air is key in the battle against SARS-CoV-2, as recognised by the Joint Union Guide to Improving Ventilation in Schools and Colleges (Sept 2021) and the Welsh Government strategy to provide CO2 monitoring equipment. However, monitors are not a solution to poor ventilation: they just indicate that there is a problem and remedial action should be taken.

This Council notes the Welsh Government's Technical Advisory Group will now consider the results from the early trials of these machines and provide further advice on their use within education settings before any procurement process begins. We also note HSE advice that the most suitable equipment for use in rooms with poor ventilation are:

·         High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters which are no less than 99.97% efficient at capturing human-generated viral particles associated with SARS-CoV-2 (Centres for Disease Control and Prevention; Ventilation in Buildings; update 2 June 2021.) and:

·         Ultraviolet-based devices.

This council therefore calls on Welsh Government to urgently consider assessing the possibility of utilising UV-C and /or HEPA units, as recommended by the HSE and validated as being appropriate and safe for use by the WHO, The Lancet and other leading medical authorities and publications, whilst noting that work needs to be conducted to safeguard our large school stock and protect hard-pressed schools from unforeseen financial pressures.”

The Proposer and Seconder of the Amendment were afforded the opportunity of speaking in support thereof and outlined the reasons for its submission, as set out in the Amendment.

A number of statements were made in support of both the motion and the amendment.

Following a vote, it was 

RESOLVED that the Amendment to the Motion be not supported.

Council thereupon proceeded to vote on the original Motion and it was

FURTHER RESOLVED that the Notice of Motion be adopted and referred to the Cabinet.