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UK coronavirus live: Williamson leads Downing Street briefing as Starmer says more could be back in English schools UK coronavirus live: attendance at English schools will be 'mandatory' from September, says Williamson
(32 minutes later)
Labour leader criticises lack of leadership; Scotland’s distancing rule to be relaxed for some sectors; lockdown-easing paused in some Scottish towns Labour leader criticises government lack of leadership on schools; Scotland’s distancing rule to be relaxed for some sectors; lockdown-easing paused in some Scottish towns
The Department of Health in Northern Ireland has issued its latest estimate of R, the reproduction number, in the region. It is between 0.3 and 0.8, it says.
The Gavin Williamson press conference is now over.
The Mirror’s Dan Bloom says what Gavin Williamson said about it being “totally, totally untrue” to say the curriculum was being slimmed down (see 5.23pm) is contradicted by his own department’s guidance.
Q: You said all primary pupils would be back before the summer but could not deliver because some heads objected. How do we know that won’t happen again?
Williamson says he is working closely with the sector. He has absolute confidence they will deliver for pupils.
Q: Could schools have to close again?
Harries says a second wave is “quite a possibility”. And a second peak cannot be ruled, she says.
She says it is possible there could be further waves after that.
She says the focus now is on ensuring that a second wave does not become a second peak.
She says it could be necessary for schools to close for short periods.
Williamson says they want to avoid the need for another national shutdown.
Q: The curriculum is being watered down and pubs are opening before schools. Have you let pupils down?
Williamson says it is “totally, totally untrue” to say that the curriculum is being watered down.
And he says 1.6m children are back in school already.
He says there is no one would would have been more keen on seeing all pupils back. But that was not possible, he says.
UPDATE: But DfE guidance says the curriculum could be watered down. See 5.31pm.
Q: [From Channel 4 News] We have surveyed headteachers and more than half say they have not received their laptops.
Williamson says there are 10,000 orders that have not yet been delivered. And he says some schools have yet to submit their orders.
Q: Why has it taken you four months to come up with these plans?
Williamson says 1.6m pupils have already returned.
But now they are in a position to send more children back, he says.
Q: Are you telling parents there is absolutely no risk?
Williamson says what we have seen with schools is the creation of safe environments. That is what will happen everywhere in September, he says.
Harries says she would have been worried if pupils had gone back earlier. Now the health professionals have a much better understanding of risk, she says.
Schools are very controlled environments, she says. She says safety is built in.
Williamson says we should not forget the value of children being in school.
Williamson says if the government needs to take action for local lockdowns, it will.
Jenny Harries, the deputy chief medical officer for England, says younger children at at less risk from coronavirus than others.
Q: If you have lots of teenagers together who have not seen each other for months, they won’t socially distance, will they?
Williamson says he appreciates the problem. But children have to go back to school. That is why a system of controls have been introduced to reduce the chance of the virus being transmitted.
He also says, as the father of two teenager daughters, that he thinks school has more control over them than they do.
Leanne asks how breakfast clubs will work if school groups cannot mix.Leanne asks how breakfast clubs will work if school groups cannot mix.
Williamson says the guidance covers this point. The government wants to see breakfast clubs reopening alongside the rull reopening of schools.Williamson says the guidance covers this point. The government wants to see breakfast clubs reopening alongside the rull reopening of schools.
Jamie from Manchester asks what is being done to ensure pupils have better access to online learning, particularly because of the risk of local lockdowns.Jamie from Manchester asks what is being done to ensure pupils have better access to online learning, particularly because of the risk of local lockdowns.
Williamson says this is why the government has been rolling out 200,000 laptops for disadvantaged pupils.Williamson says this is why the government has been rolling out 200,000 laptops for disadvantaged pupils.
Williamson says from September attendance in school will again by mandatory.Williamson says from September attendance in school will again by mandatory.
He says this is essential if pupils are going to catch up with what they have missed.He says this is essential if pupils are going to catch up with what they have missed.
Williamson is summarising what was announced earlier.
Here is our coverage of the guidance issued this morning.
Gavin Williamson, the education secretary for England, is holding a press conference now. It is the first No 10 press conference since the daily ones were abandoned last week.
He starts by thanking the parents of pupils who have returned to school for putting their trust in schools and teachers.
Schools are “not significant drivers of transmission” for coronavirus, according to a report (pdf) published today by the Scottish government’s Covid-19 advisory group. The short report summarises the evidence on “superspreading”. Here’s an extract.
Sinn Féin has rejected a DUP call for Michelle O’Neill to step aside as Northern Ireland’s deputy first minister over her attendance at an IRA funeral that drew hundreds of people on to the streets. (See 11.19am.) A party spokesman said:
There seems to be a common theme to the response from teaching unions to the plan from the DfE for all pupils in England to return to school in September. This is from the statement from Kevin Courtney, joint general secretary of the National Education Union, echoing the “plan B” line used by the NAHT (see 10.19am) and by the ASCL (see 1.40pm). Courtney said:
Public Health England has published its latest weekly coronavirus surveillance report. It covers the week ending on Sunday 28 June.
Here’s an extract from the summary.
In an article for the Guardian a paramedic working for NHS test and trace says the system is “a shambles” and that they are being paid to do nothing. Here’s an extract.
And here’s the full article.
In Scotland one new coronavirus death has been reported today.
In Wales another eight deaths have been recorded.
And in Northern Ireland one further death has been recorded.
Sir Keir Starmer has said that many more children could be back in school now if the government had shown more leadership on this issue. Commenting on the plan announced today for all pupils in England to return in September, he said in a clip for broadcasters:
Starmer’s comment follows repeated claims by Boris Johnson and other ministers, heard again at PMQs yesterday, that Labour does not support children going back. The claim is based on comments made by party figures earlier this year questioning whether it was safe for pupils to return. The Conservative attack line clearly stung, because Starmer has been stressing recently how firmly the party is now committed to pupils going back. Today he is effectively trying to outbid Johnson on this issue.