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Schools in the Royal Borough of Greenwich, in southeast London, are being forced to close from the end of the day on Monday and switch classes online, amid an “exponential growth” of the pandemic.
In an open letter published Sunday night, council leader Danny Thorpe warned that “the situation in Greenwich in relation to COVID-19 now it is increasing extremely fast. “
“I was 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,” Thorpe continued.
He said Greenwich is posting the highest rates of coronavirus infection than at any time since March.
“For these reasons, I have asked all Greenwich schools to close their facilities as of Monday night and move to online learning for the entire period,” Thorpe added.
As in the first shutdown, exceptions will remain for the children of key workers and those with specific needs, he said.
In another letter to families, Thorpe emphasized: “It is absolutely essential that everyone understands that this is NOT an opportunity to extend the Christmas celebrations in any way, and I ask that this happen to reduce the risk of transmission.”
He apologized for the disruption that school closings would likely cause in families’ lives, adding: “I would not ask for this unless the risk was extreme, but with the numbers rising so rapidly, it is clear that action is needed. “.
The move comes as another 18,447 coronavirus cases and 144 related deaths have been recorded. reported on sunday across the UK. Last Sunday, the figures were 17,272 and 231.
Total cases in the past seven days increased 19.1%, or 20,245, over the previous week, with 126,163 people testing positive.
It is this increase that fuels fears that some areas, such as London, could move to the higher level of restrictions when the rules for England are reviewed next week.
Deaths in the UK over the past seven days have dropped by 2%, with 61 fewer recorded, to 2,941.
The launch of the coronavirus vaccine is scheduled to accelerate next week when some GP surgeries begin to invite people over 80 to receive the jab.
Another key aspect of the government’s coronavirus plan, mass community testing of people without symptoms, will also intensify.
As of Monday, a total of 67 local authorities at Level 3 you can start with improved test programs using rapid response tests.
