NOT FINE
Schools will only open when it’s absolutely safe – but Matt Hancock won’t rule out fines for parents who keep kids away
SCHOOLS will only reopen when it's safe, Matt Hancock said tonight - but he didn't rule out fining parents who refuse to send their kids in after lockdown ends.
The Health Secretary stressed that the disease was not giving kids bad symptoms like it had done for adults.
⚠️ Read our coronavirus live blog for the latest news & updates
4
But he dodged a direct question on whether this would mean parents would be fined for keeping them at home.
Andrew, from Leeds, asked him at the beginning of the coronavirus press conference at No10: "When lockdown measures are lifted, will there be fines if parents keep kids off school?
"And how will you make sure the public is confident it's safe?"
Mr Hancock reassured Andrew that schools will only be allowed to re-open when it is "safe" to do so.
But he did not directly address the question of whether concerned parents may be fined for keeping their kids at home over coronavirus fears.
He said: "We will only do it when it is safe to do so. We are not going to reopen schools if it isn't safe.
"When we reopen schools, our goal will be to get back to the norm and the position it was before.
"I am confident that because we will only do it when its safe, it will then be reasonable and become normal again to send children to school.
"The reason we had to take the decision to close schools was the impact on transmission, not on safety of children."
It comes after today a fresh poll showed that 48 per cent of people would feel uncomfortable doing sending their kids back, even after the measures are changed.
The Sun revealed this week that ministers want to try and send kids back to school in some places before the end of the summer term, in July.
Steve Powis from NHS England tried to reassure the public that for children there was usually only ever a very mild disease, and experts are studying the science carefully.
He added: "We do need to be cautious when thinking about opening schools.
"The key thing is, this is not a serious disease for the vast majority of children and younger people."
The news came as Mr Hancock revealed he had smashed his 100,000 a day testing target, with more than 120,000 in the last 24 hours.
But he did admit that 27,000 of those are home kits which had gone out, and the results may not have been sent back yet.
4
Reopening schools poses a "significant risk" of a second wave of coronavirus, a study warned today.
US and Chinese research warned children are equally susceptible to the virus as ministers said students would be "phased" back into class when schools eventually come back.
Education Secretary Gavin Williamson yesterday said that no date has been set for when schools will be back up and running fully.
But he hinted some year groups – like reception kids – could be the first to return to class.
We will only do it when it is safe to do so. We are not going to reopen schools if it isn't safe
Matt Hancock
Simon Clarke, professor in cellular microbiology at the University of Reading, said the recent study showed schools could spread the virus despite kids being less affected by the bug.
He told : "As children are carriers, reopening schools could expose parents, grandparents and teachers to infection and in turn anyone they might come into contact with, risking a second wave."
The study, published in The Lancet, analysed the 1,286 close contacts of 391 people in Shenzhen, China.
It found that the same proportion of children caught the bug as adults and older children, despite not showing symptoms.
4
4
MOST READ IN POLITICS
The researchers stated that "children might be an important target for interventions aimed at reducing transmission, even if they do not get sick".
Schools have been shut nationwide since March 18 - three days before the full lockdown was revealed by Boris Johnson.
Yesterday Professor Chris Whitty said there was still work to do to find out how kids can spread the virus.
He suggested that schools won't reopen until they know more.
Education Secretary Gavin Williamson says schools will reopen in 'phases' to ensure pupils and staff have enough protection to avoid coronavirus
Join our George Cross campaign for NHS staff
We are urging Sun readers to sign a petition calling for our NHS staff to be awarded the George Cross.
We are backing a proposal by Lord Ashcroft to honour our health heroes with the gallantry gong given for acts of bravery that did not take place in battle.
A No10 spokesman said: “The NHS is doing a fantastic job and the nation will want to find a way to say thank you when we have defeated this virus.” SAS hero Andy McNab added: “The award of a George Cross would show an emotional appreciation.”
We are asking our readers to please sign the petition below.
Topics