PARENTS are urging for children to be exempt from isolation rules – as the new Omicron variant is set to cause CHAOS in schools.
The new variant has three confirmed UK cases and is thought to spread more rapidly, with fears that vaccines could be ineffective against it.
It was discovered by scientists in southern Africa.
And the UK Health Security Agency warned it was “very likely” further Omicron cases will be discovered in the coming days.
In a bid to contain the mutant strain, close contacts of people who test positive for Omicron will be made to isolate for ten days.
Ministers say that the plans to contain the strain could see a repeat of the classroom chaos caused by Covid rules in the summer.
Scores of kids missed weeks of school because they had to isolate after coming into contact with someone with coronavirus.
Molly Kingsley, a founder of parents group UsForThem told The Telegraph: “We learnt from summer that forcing healthy children to isolate was an unmitigated disaster.”
Miss Kingsley said that if children are not made exempt, it will be disastrous for learning.
And she fumed bringing back the rules for schoolchildren would be “unforgivable” and “shameful”.
It comes after the deputy-chair for the Covid Recovery Group, Steve Baker MP warned isolation rules could cause “chaos” in the classroom.
The MP for Wycombe said the move would “cause collateral harms like damage to children’s education”.
He called for the Government to explain when “all of this” will be stopped.
A teacher’s union has called for Christmas activities like concerts, nativities and end of term trips to be scrapped amid the discovery of the new strain.
And pupils in Year Seven and above have been told to wear face masks at school to stop the spread of the mutant Omicron Covid variant.
Secondary school pupils are “strongly advised” to return to wearing face coverings in corridors and assemblies, the Department of Education said.
It comes as the third case of the Omnicron variant was confirmed by health chiefs today.
There were extensive contact tracing efforts in Westminster after it emerged the latest confirmed case had visited before leaving the UK.
But Health Secretary Sajid Javid dismissed calls for a further lockdown.
Meanwhile the UK Health Security Agency warned it was “very likely” further Omicron cases will be discovered in the coming days.
