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Schools in the London Borough of Greenwich will close tomorrow and switch to remote learning after “exponential growth” in Covid-19 cases.
The South East London borough has around 225 cases per 100,000 residents, above the national average.
In the first week of December, cases soared from 151.4 per 100,000 to 48.6 percent, according to the latest data.
Greenwich is just London’s 14th borough with the most Havering infections at the top with more than double the cases of 470.8 per 100,000 people.
It is unclear if more districts will follow Greenwich’s lead and close more schools.
Council leader Cllr Danny Thorpe said in a statement that Public Health England had advised the council to close schools as the situation in relation to Covid was “escalating extremely fast.”
He wrote: “I have been informed today by colleagues at Public Health England that the pandemic in Greenwich is now showing signs that we are in a period of exponential growth that demands immediate action.
“We now have the highest infection rates in Greenwich than at any time since March, and for these reasons, I have asked all Greenwich schools to close their facilities as of Monday night and go online learning during the academic period, with the exception of key working children and those with specific needs (exactly the same as in the first confinement) “.
The former teacher said that this was not the time to extend the Christmas celebrations and that he was only taking this action to reduce the transmission of the deadly virus that today claimed 144 more lives.
“I wouldn’t ask for this unless the risk was extreme, but with the numbers rising so rapidly, it’s clear that action is needed,” he said.
Some parents begged the council leader to reconsider closings when the term ends on Friday.
One parent responded on Twitter: “I’m really sorry, but that’s a bad decision. Schools close on Friday anyway. Children will be placed with grandparents and other child care arrangements. Children are safer in their bubbles at school than in the parks. Do not do this! “
Covid-19 case rates are increasing in two-thirds of all local areas in England, the most recent data shows.
A total of 208 out of 315 local authority areas recorded a weekly rate increase in the seven days to December 9.
This includes all London boroughs, 39 of the 45 local areas in the East of England and 58 of the 67 local areas in the South East of England.
In North West England, where rates had previously been falling across most of the region, the latest figures show they have risen in about half of the areas (19 out of 39).
All figures are based on Public Health England data released Sunday afternoon.
