Concerns raised about student house parties by Sheffield's public health director

Greg Fell, director for public health, answered questions about how prepared the city was for the return of students, of which Sheffield has around 60,000, during a full council meeting this week.

Most higher education teaching took place online since strict rules on social gatherings were brought in by the government in March.

Mr Fell said Sheffield’s providers worked extensively with the council since then to prepare for welcoming staff and students back into buildings.

He said: “I’m satisfied both universities and the college one, take it very seriously; two, have done a huge amount of operational planning for managing how they reopen in a phased and as low risk way as possible - it can never be zero risk; and three, have the right arrangements in place for responding to cases and outbreaks as and when they happen because they will happen, there is no doubt about that.

“I think we are all happy the campus environment is as Covid safe as possibly can be. Concern is what happens off campus in unregulated space. Student union bars are regulated space, licensed premises are also regulated space and there is much we can and are doing in those spaces. The key concern is house parties and things of that ilk.

“The new rule of only meeting with six people effectively bans giant house parties. The universities are being pressed, and to their credit I think are taking this on, to have their staff doing softer edge comms and messaging with the student bodies around ‘you have to act responsibly, it’s in all of our interests’. The last thing we want is a big spike in 20 to 30 year olds that eventually gets to 60 to 70 year olds because then we will just be in lockdown and that will be detrimental to all concerned including students.

“I’m as happy as I can be that the universities and colleges are going to open safely but it will be a bit of a rocky road I think for the next month or two.”