A £3.3million plan to provide schools, colleges and universities in Wales with machines that disinfect classrooms after a coronavirus outbreak, has been blasted due to concerns about safety.
The Welsh Government announced last week that it would be buying 1,800 ozone disinfecting machines to be distributed across the country.
However opposition parties quickly raised concerns about the safety of the devices, including the Shadow Education Minister, who wanted to know why a “toxic chemical” would be used in a classroom environment.
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The Welsh Government has now announced that it will await further advice from experts before buying any of the machines, sparking accusations of a “u-turn”.
Country Times reports: Opposition parties, parents and medical professionals were concerned at the plans to spend more than £3 million on ozone machines developed by Swansea University in a bid to combat coronavirus in classrooms.
Ozone is a toxic gas that can damage lungs when inhaled, and although Swansea University said the machines could be used when no pupils were present, the Government appears to have rowed back on the plans.
Yesterday, it confirmed no decision had been taken to buy them, adding it would not do so without seeking expert advice first.
The Technical Advisory Group (TAG) of experts to the Government will look at results of early trials of the machines “before any procurement process begins”.
Having originally written a piece on the issue on Nation.Cymru, fresh air campaigner Dr Eilir Hughes tweeted: “Well that’s a win for Welsh kids” while congratulating government ministers for listening.”
However, opposition parties have been less forgiving.
The Welsh Conservatives’ shadow minister for education, Laura Anne Jones, said: “Whilst I welcome this apparent U-turn by Labour ministers, I find it absolutely staggering that they didn’t seek advice from scientists before making an announcement.
“Making a rash decision to introduce these toxic chemical-spraying machines, which could have a seriously damaging impact on our youngsters’ heath, without talking to experts is quite frankly a reckless move.
“Ministers need to publish the advice from experts, along with any risk assessments undertaken, for everyone to see before moving forward with this controversial project.”
Meanwhile, Plaid Cymru’s health spokesperson Rhun ap Iorwerth said: “They now seem to have performed quite a spectacular U-turn following serious concerns by medical professionals and scientists about the safety of these machines – now claiming they only “considered” their use and have not even begun the procurement process. Something doesn’t add up.
“Ozone disinfecting machines clean the air when no one is in the room and are dangerous to use when people are present.
“That’s why serious questions need to be asked about the Government’s judgment in deciding to roll out these particular machines into our schools, colleges and universities – a few days before students begin returning after the summer break.
“What certainty have they been given that this brand-new technology – that hasn’t been fully trialled yet – is safe to use in these settings?
“Every measure must be taken to ensure that transmission is minimised. The virus is airborne, so Welsh Government should be doing everything they can to ensure cleaner air in schools.
“But, this should not mean the introduction of potentially very dangerous machines when other methods of air purification are already tried, tested – and much more cost-effective.”
Swansea University has insisted the machines would have strict safety rules, with nobody allowed in any room when the machine is operating.
A spokesperson added: “The whole cycle typically takes only a few hours, can easily be run after school and when no pupils are present.
“These machines will help us get rooms, such as classrooms, back in use quickly and safely after an outbreak.”
Niamh Harris
What a load of it. They’re all full of it and the in .crowd should be the in jail crowd.
People who receive the vaccine and contract the virus, will spread the virus while it runs its course in that person. They become super spreaders because the vaccine reduces their symptoms and they are well enough to walk around like most of the other people who contract this virus.
When people get together; whether that’s in classrooms, stores, hospitals, theaters, or places of business; the Covid virus will spread from person to person. Over the next 5 to 10 years, almost everyone will eventually be exposed to this virus. If you get vaccinated, and you are one of the 95% of the people that the vaccine works on, and you contract this virus within its effective 6 to 10 month window, your symptoms will be less pronounced. An unknown, but small, percentage of people who receive the vaccine will have comparatively less lethal side effects from the actual vaccine. They include irritation of the heart, blood clots, and viral reactivation (for example: a small percentage of the vaccine recipients who had contracted chicken pox in their youth may contract Shingles; other “dormant” viruses may also reactivate like Herpes, Hepatitis, etc.). There has also been a small study that suggests that long term immunity, developed when a person contracts the virus, will become less effective as that person receives multiple vaccinations. For older people this would not be so much of a problem because their immune systems are slowly becoming less effective anyway, and so taking multiple vaccines may be appropriate. But this might be a big thing for younger people.
Masks, isolation techniques, and disinfecting classrooms will lengthen the time it will take for everyone to eventually be exposed to this virus. On the one hand, that’s good because it will lesson the burden on hospitals, as they will receive their seriously ill patients over a longer period of time. On the other hand, as time goes on, variations of the virus may become more dangerous and start killing people under the age of 50 who have not yet contracted the virus and so have not had the opportunity to develop the safety that comes from long term immunity. Personally, I would think that since currently we have a vaccine for the over 65 group that mitigates symptoms, it is a mistake to waste this protected window by avoiding the virus.