Coronavirus crisis: Primary schools could reopen from June 1 as lockdown exit begins
PRIMARY schools in Britain could reopen from June 1 as the Government devises its exit plan for the coronavirus lockdown.
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Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to lay out the plans next Sunday. The strategy is expected to include tests for asymptomatic staff in workplaces and according to Whitehall sources, the Prime Minister is looking to give three weeks’ notice to teachers in primary schools. On Saturday, Robert Jenrick, the Housing, Communities and Local Government Secretary said: “Home learning is not easy, particularly when one or both parents are trying to work from home as well.”
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The earlier restart to primary schools is reportedly to allow parents to return to work as well as to avoid disruption to key early years development.
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The date of June 1 could be pushed back.
The current date is supported as the R number, the rate of infection, is between 0.5 and 1.
This figure represents the average number of people infected by a coronavirus sufferer.
A Whitehall source told The Sunday Telegraph that reopening primary schools was “crucial for economic reasons, to get things moving, but also for educational reasons”, adding “early years development is very important”.
However, secondary school pupils “can do a lot more at home and online. They are not as pressing as primary schoolchildren, who we know need a lot of attention”.
Jenny Harries, the Deputy Chief Medical Officer for England, said there were “some signs that potentially younger children are less susceptible to disease and potentially transmit it less”.
Data expected next week from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) will give ministers a clearer picture of how the virus is spreading and whether they can press ahead with any exit plans.
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Dr Harries added on Saturday the public needed “very clear messaging to understand when to come out and to be reassured that it’s safe”.
A recent study at Yale found that saliva tests were more sensitive than the swab tests currently used by the NHS.
This has led to optimism that testing could become routine to help ensure safety in the workplace.
The contact tracing system bought in from South Korea is expected to be trialled this week on the Isle of Wight.
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A Department for Education spokesman said: “Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has not set a date for schools reopening.
“Schools will remain closed, except for children of critical workers and vulnerable children, until the scientific advice indicates it is the right time to reopen and the five tests set out by Government to beat this virus have been met.”
Earlier on Saturday, the Department of Health and Social Care tweeted: “As of 9am 2 May, there have been 1,129,907 tests, with 105,937 tests on 1 May.
“825,946 people have been tested of which 182,260 tested positive.
“As of 5pm on 1 May, of those tested positive for coronavirus, across all settings, 28,131 have sadly died.”
Italy is currently the worst-hit country in Europe with 28,710 confirmed deaths.
Spain has begun to ease lockdown with adults allowed outside to exercise between 6am and 10am and again from 8pm to 11pm.
The slot for children is midday until 7pm, whilst older people and those who need assistance have 10am until 12pm and 7pm until 8pm slots.
On Saturday, Austrian hairdressers, beauticians and electronics stores reopened.