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British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said that current Covid-19 measures implemented in England are likely to toughen up amid a spike in cases, but insisted schools are safe and children should continue to attend. .
Covid-19 cases are at record levels and on the rise, fueled by a newer and more transmissible variant of the virus.
That has already forced the British government to cancel the planned reopening of schools in and around London, with calls from teachers’ unions for more extensive closures.
Much of England is already under the strictest level of restriction set in a four-tier system of regional regulations designed to stop the spread of the virus and protect the NHS.
But when asked about concerns that the system might not be sufficient to get the virus back under control, he said the restrictions “unfortunately, could be about to get tighter.”
Speaking on the BBC’s Andrew Marr program, Johnson said: “Obviously, there are a number of stricter measures that we should consider … I’m not going to speculate now on what they would be.”
Johnson also said the schools were safe and advised parents to send their children to areas where the rules allow it.
“I have no doubt that schools are safe and that education is a priority,” he said.
He added: “And we have the prospect of vaccines coming down the road by the tens of millions.
“And that, I think, is something that should keep people in what I predicted, on their show in October, it will be a very bumpy period right now.
“There are potholes and there are going to be potholes.”
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Johnson said: “We have really fought very hard during this pandemic across the country to keep schools open for many reasons.
“Schools are safe. It is very, very important to emphasize that.
“The risk for children, for young people, is really very, very small.
“The risk to personnel is very small.
“I would advise all parents who are thinking of wanting to do, look where their area is, they will overwhelmingly be in a part of the country where elementary schools will be open tomorrow.”
The prime minister said he understands the anxiety around the reopening of schools.
When asked if he would take legal action against the councils that have decided not to reopen elementary schools, Johnson said, “We will work very hard with authorities across the country to get our message across that we believe schools are safe; that schools are safe. they are safe, there is absolutely no doubt about it.
“I understand people’s frustrations, I understand people’s anxieties, but I have no doubt that schools are safe and that education is a priority.
“And if you think about the history of the pandemic, we’ve kept schools running for a long, long time in areas where the pandemic has really been at very high levels.”
Johnson added: “We will keep this under constant review, but we will be guided by public health considerations and the enormous importance of education.”
Additional Reuters reports
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