Schools will need to be deep-cleaned when coronavirus lockdown ends, says council leader
Schools, playgrounds and community facilities will “almost certainly” have to be deep-cleaned as the coronavirus lockdown is lifted, Telford & Wrekin Council’s leader has said.
Shaun Davies said the authority would use “a pragmatic and common-sense approach” to ensure buildings and equipment are virus free, but warned playgrounds, especially, will be difficult to reopen.
Speaking in an online question-and-answer session on the council’s Facebook page, Councillor Davies also said the Health and Safety Executive would issue guidelines to businesses to help keep their premises, staff and customers safe as the pandemic subsides.
He was responding to a question, submitted by a member of the public, asking whether the local authority will disinfect public places.
“What we will absolutely do is ensure that any guidelines issued by the government or the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) or those agencies will be robustly followed,” he said.
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“I think absolutely, that almost certainly will entail deep cleans of our schools, play areas and parks and our community facilities. But, again, we don’t know at the moment when or if the government will reduce the lockdown, and how that will work in practice.
“There are certain things – for example, play parks – that will be really really hard to reopen in the short term because, clearly, as a council we can’t get into those areas and clean them as regularly as we would want to.
“So we will be pragmatic and use a common-sense approach to ensure our equipment is safe.”
Guidelines
The questioner also asked whether the council would issue guidelines to businesses. Councillor Davies said the HSE would take the lead role there.
“They will issue guidelines to employers about how to clean, how to make sure staff are safe and secure,” he said.
“The vast majority of people will want to do their best to support their employees, their customers and the community.”
Another member of the public asked what would happen if, once schools re-open, some students stayed away because they were still in a self-isolation period.
Councillor Davies said it was still not known when schools would return to normal, but he thought it “highly unlikely” to happen between now and September.
“Schools and the local authority are working very closely and carefully to understand who can go back to school and how they can, while ensuring the safety of children and staff,” he said.
“What I can say very directly is, in my opinion, if you were self-isolating because of a clinical need and your children did not go to school when invited to, you would not be fined.
“Clearly, there isn’t a public interest in trying to prosecute someone who is trying to do the right thing.”
But he urged concerned families to contact the council.
