Is there actual evidence that school gates are a huge transmission risk?

[Waverless]

Nicola Sturgeon had a wee dig about parents socialising at the school gates at pick up and drop off as part of the announcement of early years going back next week.

Is there actually any evidence this is a major transmission area?? We had to wear facemasks, keep apart, staggered starts and we're all outside anyway?

And if there is evidence then surely, if school is really their priority they say it is, this is such an easy thing to marshall.

Or is she just having a dig, playing the blame game, it's you stupid parents fault that schools are closed

Let your child mingle with other families and the staff at school but have a chat for five outside in the fresh air , no way!
What a joke frankly.

Well I can see the parents outside my (school office) window. They're supposed to be distancing and wearing masks but I'd say 60% totally ignore that and behave as usual.

I would like clearer logic shown.

Is indoor transmission not the real danger and I've yet to see any evidence or inkling of evidence pointing to anything else.

It's a useful distraction maybe.

But Rockbird that's an anecdotal observation - is that sort of behaviour really causing an increase in cases? Or is it just supposition? And is it really in such large numbers or just the same people all the time?

My experience as a parent was the opposite - vast majority of parents keeping a distance and frankly not hanging around.

And if parents are mingling dangerously why can't council staff don some bibs and tell people to move along? Not legally enforceable but it works for supermarket queues. If it really is indeed a problem,

@FredUpNow

It's a useful distraction maybe.

Yup!

I think most parents assume that a brief conversation outdoors with another parent is minimal risk.

Given there was no cases in our school between June - December (with very similar precautions you describe) i would say no!

Of course it isnt, and I dont believe the 60٪ of parents are ignoring it either. What utter nonsense.

At my school I see all parents in masks who are able to wear them & everyone is as distanced as they are able to be on the paths around the school.

There’s far more chance of Covid spreading between the staff and children spending 6 hours a day squeezed maskless inside poorly-ventilated classrooms, than between socially distanced mask-wearing adults standing outside for a couple of minutes after school, but it doesn’t suit the government narrative of ‘schools are safe!’ to say this.

Is there any evidence of any public places being transmission risks? Since lockdowns, as opposed to pre March 2020 things like Cheltenham.

Most seem to be linked to work places.

I wouldn’t know. I drop my children off a breakfast club at 7.30 and pick them up at after school club at 5.

However as a secondary school teacher I see over a thousand children arrive and leave at the same time via public transport.

My casual observation was that the classes that were dropped off near the playground shelter used the shelter when it was raining, and it's quite small. Those whose children where at one of the other drop off points spread out more whatever the weather

It wasn't the outdoor aspect of the events that was the problem anyway. It was the transport, pubs etc that went with the big events.

I think she was mainly referring to those that have the attitude ‘well if my child is at school mixing, then they can mix with friends and family in my house’.

@beckypv

I think she was mainly referring to those that have the attitude ‘well if my child is at school mixing, then they can mix with friends and family in my house’.

I doubt people will listen to NS when this will actually be the case once the children are back .. !

I don’t know of any evidence but certainly at my DC’s school, so parents get other parents to drive their child/ren in, they stand around talking, they hug each other, they go to the playground with other children or sometimes after school and chat away, the parents have coffee round each other’s houses...

@beckypv

I think she was mainly referring to those that have the attitude ‘well if my child is at school mixing, then they can mix with friends and family in my house’.

That makes much more sense.

I didn't actually listen - basing my question on news reports including from the times (top story in the Scotland section!) which says 'parents shouldn't use the school run as an excuse to socialise' which may not be a totally accurate representation!

It never made much sense to me. Surely if my child has been inside a class room sat next to Rosie all day long, then the risk isn't increased by a 30 second chat with Rosie's mum

(To add, mine walk home togetherness across the field so it doesn't actually affect me but I could never understand the hysteria)

Given that schools' staggered times for different classes mean parents sranding on the playground 2x 10/ 20 mins per day depending on the class combination, parents will end up talking to each other.

Anecdotally, no school run parents/ chat companion/ sibling-cross-bubble cases occured in the 4 bubbles that have popped in school. They either originated from staff or parental workplaces.

Viral spread doesn't stand much chance on our windswept playground!

@beckypv

I think she was mainly referring to those that have the attitude ‘well if my child is at school mixing, then they can mix with friends and family in my house’.

This is definitely a big problem area. Plenty of this type posting on mumsnet at various points of the pandemic and at least a few families locally to me. "Just a sleepover, they're at school anyway" etc. Zero understanding of risk assessment.

School gates just an additional interaction space.

As with everything some parents will be talking close, so keeping distance.

Not sure 'evidence' always needed for every scenario.

I think there were a growing number of kids meeting in each others house before this lockdown. As others have said, many parents believed that if they mixed at school there was no reason they couldn't mix within each others homes. I was surprised at the number.

An English MP mentioned something about this the other day on the news too! I was infuriated and I don't even go to the school gates.
No it isn't the parents having a distant chat for five minutes outside spreading it.
ITS THE INDOOR MIXING OF 30 CHILDREN FOR HOURS TOGETHER.
The ideas they are coming out with are like a comedy sketch. The problem is though it isn't funny.

So a 2 minute chat socially distancing in the wind is driving up infection rates? Really?

I’ve not seen my family for a year, I’m keeping to all the rules, so yeah I’m going to have a chat while dropping off and picking up my kids. For the rest of the day I sit at home by myself working.