Dundee City Council is working closely with partners across the city to deal with the ongoing impact of Coronavirus (Covid-19).
Officers are monitoring the local situation daily and following the advice given by government and NHS public health experts. The council continues to consider appropriate actions based on the national guidance.
As of today (Friday October 2)
- A senior councillor is thanking families, pupils and school staff for their efforts, as the first term since lockdown comes to an end for the October holidays at the close of classes today (Friday).
Stewart Hunter is praising them for their resilience in the face of challenging conditions, but is warning that vigilance must be maintained when the doors of nurseries and schools reopen when lessons resume on October 19.
The introduction of new hygiene measures this term in the battle against coronavirus have included the staggering of breaks and lunches, as well as hand sanitising and the wearing of face coverings where appropriate.
Councillor Hunter, who is the convener of Dundee City Council's children and families services committee, said: "This has been an extremely challenging term and I would like to thank everyone connected with our nurseries and schools for their efforts so that classroom education could restart and continue following the long closure.
"There can be no let-up in our efforts to guard against the virus, and everyone has their part to play - including families who are dropping off and picking up their children. National guidelines around issues like physical distancing should be followed at all times.
"I would also like to also pay tribute to the teamwork that has been shown between council staff and public health officials to deal with instances like the Kingspark School outbreak. We have learned valuable lessons that will help us move on in the new term.
"I am also pleased to see how the digital innovation which was shown during the closure period is continuing to be developed for the benefit of all our pupils.”
It has recently been announced that free school meal payments for qualifying primary and secondary pupils will be extended across the October holiday.
City council breakfast clubs will reopen as term restarts, and school lunches will include a hot bagged meal.
Councillor Hunter added: “These are unsettling times and I would like to assure Dundee families that our children and families services are committed to the welfare and education of every pupil.
“We all have a part to play as the pandemic moves into winter.
“Our nurseries and schools will continue to keep families fully informed about any developments during the next term.”
The full list of council services affected by Coronavirus is available on the council’s website.
Dundee City Council
Dundee draws skilled workers from a 60-minute catchment population of 640,000 and has a local population of over 140,000. The availability of a large pool of highly skilled labour is a key feature in the Dundee economy. Flexibility in the labour force is currently more prevalent in Dundee than in Scotland as a whole. All forms of labour market flexibility - part-time, temporary employment, self-employment and shift work - are widely operational within the city. Labour force stability in the city is excellent, enabling companies to plan with confidence. Labour turnover levels are less than 5% and absenteeism averages 2%.
