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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2020/may/16/uk-coronavirus-live-stop-squabbling-over-school-closures-says-childrens-commissioner
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| UK coronavirus live: Gavin Williamson says school reopening based on 'best scientific advice' | UK coronavirus live: Gavin Williamson says school reopening based on 'best scientific advice' |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Latest updates, news and information on the Covid-19 pandemic in the UK | Latest updates, news and information on the Covid-19 pandemic in the UK |
| And that’s it, the press conference is over. | |
| Q. How will women (who make up most primary school teachers) go back to work if there’s no childcare available? | |
| Williamson says teachers are critical workers, so all have access to education provision for their children. | |
| Q. Why will pupils be allowed to take their own lunch boxes to school but not their own pencil cases - what’s the difference? | |
| Harries says the basic public health principle is to keep everything as clean as possible. | |
| Lunch boxes are quite personal to the child it belongs to and when you’re eating you put your hands to your food and face, she says. | |
| It’s important that both are kept as clean as possible and good hygiene is practised. | |
| Q. Are you worried that union leaders who don’t wish to return to school on 1 June don’t understand that the most disadvantaged children are suffering most from not being at school or that they’re prepared to sacrifice that? | |
| Williamson says every teacher he has spoken to understands this. | |
| He wants to talk to representative organisations and work with them on this, he says. | |
| Q. So are you saying teachers don’t agree with what their union leaders are saying? Do you want them to ignore them? | |
| Williamson says teachers have been heroes and thanks them. | |
| Q. How will you ensure that children in special schools and vulnerable children won’t get left behind? | Q. How will you ensure that children in special schools and vulnerable children won’t get left behind? |
| Williamson says education is the greatest leveller. Different initiatives are being looked at, he says. | Williamson says education is the greatest leveller. Different initiatives are being looked at, he says. |
| Q. Given teachers’ concerns about schools reopening in June, would you consider starting the next school year in early August? | Q. Given teachers’ concerns about schools reopening in June, would you consider starting the next school year in early August? |
| Williamson says there are currently no plans to start the new school year in early August. | Williamson says there are currently no plans to start the new school year in early August. |
| Q. Why are year 6 pupils going back ahead of year 5 who are getting ready to sit their SATs? | Q. Why are year 6 pupils going back ahead of year 5 who are getting ready to sit their SATs? |
| Williamson says one of the reasons year 6 was chosen is because it is a key transition year for children getting ready to go into secondary school. | Williamson says one of the reasons year 6 was chosen is because it is a key transition year for children getting ready to go into secondary school. |
| Q. Is it the case that children in reception and year 1 won’t be expected to socially distance? | Q. Is it the case that children in reception and year 1 won’t be expected to socially distance? |
| Williamson says schools won’t be brought back without meeting the five tests. | Williamson says schools won’t be brought back without meeting the five tests. |
| Harries says good respiratory and hand hygiene is very important and measures like spacing desks apart can help reduce the risk of infection. | Harries says good respiratory and hand hygiene is very important and measures like spacing desks apart can help reduce the risk of infection. |
| Q. What are you going to do to ensure better national coordination and support for children who won’t be going back to school for many months to ease the burden on individual teachers and parents? | Q. What are you going to do to ensure better national coordination and support for children who won’t be going back to school for many months to ease the burden on individual teachers and parents? |
| Williamson says there’s no substitute for being in school, but they’re looking at a package of measures. | Williamson says there’s no substitute for being in school, but they’re looking at a package of measures. |
| Q. The R estimate has been revised upwards. Can you guarantee reopening schools in this way won’t result in a significant increase in the R number? | Q. The R estimate has been revised upwards. Can you guarantee reopening schools in this way won’t result in a significant increase in the R number? |
| Q. What’s the R value at which you consider reversing the new strategy? | Q. What’s the R value at which you consider reversing the new strategy? |
| Williamson says Sage has looked at different models to see which would have the least impact on the R value. | Williamson says Sage has looked at different models to see which would have the least impact on the R value. |
| Harries says 0.7-1 is a broad range below 1. It’s derived from a broad consensus of modellers. | Harries says 0.7-1 is a broad range below 1. It’s derived from a broad consensus of modellers. |
| It has gone up using that consensus model, but there are several different R rates, she says. | It has gone up using that consensus model, but there are several different R rates, she says. |
| There is an R value for the community, which informs ONS data, there’s one for care homes and there’s one for hospitals too. | There is an R value for the community, which informs ONS data, there’s one for care homes and there’s one for hospitals too. |
| We need to understand what the drivers in each of these areas are to determine where hotspots are, she says. | We need to understand what the drivers in each of these areas are to determine where hotspots are, she says. |
| They are taking questions from the media now. | They are taking questions from the media now. |
| Q. The British Medical Association says cases aren’t dropping fast enough to reopen schools. Will you ignore the UK’s doctors if that’s still their view in June? | Q. The British Medical Association says cases aren’t dropping fast enough to reopen schools. Will you ignore the UK’s doctors if that’s still their view in June? |
| Williamson says they recognise the important role of schools in a child’s life. | Williamson says they recognise the important role of schools in a child’s life. |
| When there is advice that there is an opportunity to reopen schools in a “safe” and “controlled” way, we should be doing that, he says. | When there is advice that there is an opportunity to reopen schools in a “safe” and “controlled” way, we should be doing that, he says. |
| Harries says Sage has input from a huge number of doctors when doing their modelling, and this has gone into their advice about schools. | Harries says Sage has input from a huge number of doctors when doing their modelling, and this has gone into their advice about schools. |
| It’s important if other medical groups share anything they think has been missed with the government, she says. | It’s important if other medical groups share anything they think has been missed with the government, she says. |
| We know now that children rarely get as ill as the older population with Covid-19, she says. Evidence is still growing but there is some to suggest they’re also less likely to pass it on, she says. | We know now that children rarely get as ill as the older population with Covid-19, she says. Evidence is still growing but there is some to suggest they’re also less likely to pass it on, she says. |
| We need to track cases now they’re going down, but the latest ONS data suggested one in 400 people were infected. In two weeks it will be half that rate, she says. | We need to track cases now they’re going down, but the latest ONS data suggested one in 400 people were infected. In two weeks it will be half that rate, she says. |
| So parents should not think every school will be swarming with cases. | So parents should not think every school will be swarming with cases. |
| Q. Where local councils are telling schools they don’t have to open, should school governors be listening to them or to you? | Q. Where local councils are telling schools they don’t have to open, should school governors be listening to them or to you? |
| Williamson says caution is at the heart of the government’s approach. | Williamson says caution is at the heart of the government’s approach. |
| Lee from Maidstone asked if people with diabetes should be added to the shielded list, given that the NHS confirmed that more than 25% of people who have died in hospital of Covid-19 were diabetic. | Lee from Maidstone asked if people with diabetes should be added to the shielded list, given that the NHS confirmed that more than 25% of people who have died in hospital of Covid-19 were diabetic. |
| Harries says this data looks at specific diseases without necessarily looking at other risk factors these individuals had, such as obesity or cardiovascular disease. | Harries says this data looks at specific diseases without necessarily looking at other risk factors these individuals had, such as obesity or cardiovascular disease. |
| The variables need to be looked at together to better determine risk, she says. | The variables need to be looked at together to better determine risk, she says. |
| They are taking questions from members of the public now. | They are taking questions from members of the public now. |
| Lindsay from Gateshead, which has the highest infection rate in the country, asks why the government isn’t taking a regional approach to reopening schools, given the differences in infection rates across the UK. | Lindsay from Gateshead, which has the highest infection rate in the country, asks why the government isn’t taking a regional approach to reopening schools, given the differences in infection rates across the UK. |
| Williamson says he wants every child to have the opportunity to come back to school, but this will be done “in a cautious way”. | Williamson says he wants every child to have the opportunity to come back to school, but this will be done “in a cautious way”. |
| If there are concerns about the rate of infection, we will look at that, he says. | If there are concerns about the rate of infection, we will look at that, he says. |
| Harries says that in most communities the R number is likely to be significantly lower than the national R number. | Harries says that in most communities the R number is likely to be significantly lower than the national R number. |
| Dr Jenny Harries is going through the daily slides now. | Dr Jenny Harries is going through the daily slides now. |
| Transport use is consistently low, though there is a slight rise in the use of cars and light goods vehicles as people begin to go back to work, she says. | Transport use is consistently low, though there is a slight rise in the use of cars and light goods vehicles as people begin to go back to work, she says. |
| There has been a sustained increase in testing, she says. | There has been a sustained increase in testing, she says. |
| There is a “slow and steady” downward trend in hospital admissions for Covid-19 across the four nations. | There is a “slow and steady” downward trend in hospital admissions for Covid-19 across the four nations. |
| The seven-day rolling average for daily deaths is also coming down, she says. | The seven-day rolling average for daily deaths is also coming down, she says. |
| This is in line with what other European countries are doing to get their schools, nurseries and colleges back, he says. | This is in line with what other European countries are doing to get their schools, nurseries and colleges back, he says. |
| Some pupils will be asked to return to school next month. Reducing class sizes, keeping children in small groups, will create a “protective, small bubble around them”, Williamson says. | Some pupils will be asked to return to school next month. Reducing class sizes, keeping children in small groups, will create a “protective, small bubble around them”, Williamson says. |
| He says schools will be rigorous about hygiene and hand washing. | He says schools will be rigorous about hygiene and hand washing. |
| School staff can already be tested for the virus. From 1 June this will be extended to cover school children and their families if any of them develop symptoms, he says. | School staff can already be tested for the virus. From 1 June this will be extended to cover school children and their families if any of them develop symptoms, he says. |
| Track and trace methods would then be used to prevent further spread. | Track and trace methods would then be used to prevent further spread. |