PRIMARY school kids could be “resistant” to coronavirus and can head back to school, experts have said.
Boris Johnson said yesterday he hopes to be able to relax some lockdown restrictions in three weeks as ministers mull over reopening schools.
Studies by Public Health England has piled on fresh pressure to the PM to reopen schools for younger pupils, after finding there was a “strong case” to get kids behind desks again.
Students in primary schools are “resistant” to soaring coronavirus case numbers and play a small role in spreading new infections, experts concluded.
Only 3 per cent of primary schools had outbreaks of coronavirus, even while the number of new infections jumped across the UK as the second wave took hold of the nation.
PHE’s chief schools investigator Shamez Ladhani said: “Everything we have learnt from the summer half-term and the recent autumn term indicates that they are safe to remain open.”
But, PHE found that secondary schools were five times as likely to have outbreaks and could have to wait longer to reopen.
The studies looked at age data in all confirmed cases, studying outbreaks of two or more cases and doing random coronavirus swab and antibody tests.
The results found younger kids are much less likely to catch and spread the virus.
It follows hopes the PM could begin to reopen schools for younger kids as he faces a cross-party revolt if he keeps students learning from home.
Dr Ladhani said: “There’s a strong case for primary schools to reopen once infection rates start falling and are sufficiently low to allow easing of national lockdown measures.
The evidence is building to show is that primaries are a safe environment.”
And he added that by “early February” experts will have a “better indication” of whether opening primaries is a “realistic option”.
Mr Johnson has vowed to review the measures on February 15 if ministers meets its target to vaccinate 13 million of the most vulnerable Brits.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said last night the UK was on track to inoculate the most at-risk, hailing the NHS’ record of delivering 250 vaccines a minute.
Ministers are looking at proposals for a “phased return” back to schools.
While the PM refused to guarantee kids will be back to class before Easter, it is understood the Government is looking at “all options” to reopen the classroom.
Whitehall insiders insisted schools will be “the first” thing to reopen when lockdown is eased.
But they stressed the final decision will lie with the scientists, and it all comes down to getting Covid infection rates, hospitalisations and deaths low enough.
One option would be to reopen schools for primary school kids first because it is so much harder for them to work from home at Zoom.
The Department for Education is also considering partially reopening secondary schools so that kids in Year 10 and Year 12 – who have exams next year – go back first.
While they could reopen schools everywhere apart from in Covid hotspots as part of a staggered return to the classroom.
BACKBENCH REBELLION
Education Secretary Gavin Williamson is being hauled to the House of Commons today to be grilled by MPs on his roadmap for unlocking schools.
He is braced to get a hammering from all sides, as Tory backbenchers unite with Labour to demand more details on how schools will be reopened.
He is expected to tell teachers within days if schools will stay physically open over the February half term for key worker and vulnerable kids.
Mr Williamson has promised to give families two weeks notice before the reopening of schools.
And in a bid to quell mounting fury from MPs and parents, the Prime Minister said they “must not assume” kids will not be back in School before Easter.
Boris Johnson said he hopes to begin easing lockdown in three weeks time – starting with some kids back in classrooms outside Covid hotspots.
