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SADIQ Khan has called for all London schools to close as of today following an increase in Covid cases in the city.
It comes hours after the Greenwich Labor Council announced that it will be closing its classrooms for Christmas starting tonight.
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The mayor of London is now calling for all schools in 32 counties to close as the city teeters on the brink of moving to Level 3 this week.
It would force hundreds of thousands of students to study online and comes after Education Secretary Gavin Williamson promised to keep kids in school.
Khan will brief London MPs on the latest figures, which show the infection is now doubling every four days in the city.
The Mayor’s spokesman said: “The Mayor supports the early closure of schools and would like the Government to consider closing schools beginning Tuesday.
“He wants tomorrow (Monday) to be the last day at school.”
Greenwich council leader Danny Thorpe said yesterday that Public Health England had advised the authority to close all 133 schools as Covid cases were “increasing extremely fast.”
CLASSROOM OFF
They are scheduled to close today, rather than Thursday, and move classes online for the last three days of the quarter, except for the children of key workers.
Cllr Thorpe said: “We have the highest infection rates since March.
“I am asking for this to reduce the risk of transmission.”
He said free breakfast boxes and school meals would still be available to those who were eligible.
Greenwich, in southeast London, would be the first borough to close all schools since the first closure.
And it comes just days after the government revealed it could force schools to stay open by requesting a Superior Court injunction.
Meanwhile, it appears that the capital will move from Level 2 to Level 3 when the measures are reviewed on Wednesday.
In an open letter, Cllr Thorpe said the risk was “extreme.”
“The situation in Greenwich regarding Covid-19 is now escalating extremely fast,” he said.
“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 requires immediate action.
“We now have the highest infection rates in Greenwich than at any time since March.
“For these reasons, I have asked all Greenwich schools to close their facilities as of Monday night and switch to online learning during the quarter, with the exception of key child workers and those with specific needs (exactly what same as in the first confinement) “.
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And in a separate message to directors, the official said: “Sorry to bother a weekend, but frankly I know it almost seems like a thing of the past given how hard you are working.
“I’ve had several conversations with bosses in the last week and
Know how difficult things have been, especially the last week.
“It has become clear in recent days that Covid-19 rates are increasing extremely fast, both in Greenwich and in London.
“The latest data seems to suggest that the infection rate doubles in the city every four days.”
The new powers introduced through the Coronavirus Act allow the Government to issue ‘instructions’ to principals on the provision of education during the pandemic.
If schools fail to comply after receiving instructions to stay open, Gavin Williamson can apply for a Superior Court court order compelling them to do so.
It is understood that instructions under the law would only be used as a last resort, while a court order would be sought if not followed.
A spokesperson for the Department of Education said tonight: “It is a national priority to keep educational environments open full time and it is vital that children remain in school until the end of the term.
“Schools, universities, and early childhood education centers across the country have worked tremendously hard to implement protective measures that help reduce the risk of transmission of the virus.
“Our teams of regional school commissioners continue to support local authorities and school trusts to stay open and help resolve any operational issues.”
The government will work with the Greenwich council in a bid to keep schools open, and officials say they have “strong expectations” that all schools will allow full-time attendance.
But there are concerns that the Greenwich councilor’s decision could pave the way for other areas to close schools.
Covid-19 case rates are increasing in two-thirds of all local areas in England, the most recent data shows, with soaring rates in all districts of the capital.
It is vital that children stay in school until the end of the term.
Education deparment
The London Borough of Havering now has the fifth highest rate of new cases in the country.
It is claimed that the city could be divided into different tiers to keep central areas booming, while Covid hotspots on the outskirts are closed.
Conservative MPs have urged Boris Johnson not to inflict “incalculable damage” to the capital by changing it to the highest level.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock is now believed to be considering moving the hardest hit parts of London to Level 3, while leaving the center at Level 2.
That would allow pubs and restaurants in the West End to keep their doors open during one of their busiest times of the year.
Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove is reportedly one of the MPs who have suggested that only the boroughs of London that have the highest infection rates, on the outskirts of the city, should be placed at the Level 3.
They say putting all of London on Tier 3 will cause a catastrophic £ 3bn impact to the economy.
The worst affected areas of the capital are in the east, including Walthamstow, Redbridge, Newham and Barking.
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Nationally, Swale in Kent continues to have the highest rate in England, with 630.3 cases per 100,000 people.
Medway, also in Kent, has the second highest rate, while Basildon in Essex ranks third.
Earlier this week it was announced that thousands of school children in London, Essex and Kent will be tested during a swift campaign to eliminate another wave of the virus.
High school students in a number of districts are being urged to get tested to stop the spread, and one in three people with the virus still shows no symptoms.
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