Schools 'could stay shut for ALL of January' in bid to slow the spread of mutant strain as Priti Patel says children will 'eventually' return to the classrooms under plans for mass Covid testing of pupils
NEW Government sources said on Monday that a delay to the return of secondary school children was being considered amid fears that children are more likely to catch the new mutant strain of coronavirus.
Rapid Covid tests used in Operation Moonshot will CAUSE outbreaks in schools because they are so inaccurate, claims scientist behind trial that found they pick up just 3% of asymptomatic cases Re-testing of some students found six undetected positive cases among 100 Scientists said the accuracy of the rapid tests raised concerns about their use Programme using the same test in Liverpool found they were 50% accurate Government has spent more than £600m on the Innova rapid swab tests
However, there's a darker vaccine story on the front of the People. It has the headline: "Betrayal of 12,000 care homes".
The paper reports that 80% of the 15,000 homes in England are not currently being considered for the Pfizer/BioNTech inoculation that's already been approved.
The Department of Health and Social Care is quoted saying: "We are working hard to vaccinate all care home residents and workers as quickly and safely as possible."
According to the Sunday Mirror, doctors are warning that the distribution of coronavirus vaccines could turn into what it describes as a "PPE-style fiasco".
That's a reference to the delays in providing personal protective equipment at the start of the pandemic.
The Mirror says failed deliveries to some GP surgeries have led to appointments being cancelled. But an NHS told it any delays were "corrected within 24 hours".
According to the Sunday Telegraph, Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has warned allies that he faces an "enormous battle", to keep secondary schools in England open in January.
It reports that officials from Downing Street and the Department for Education are expected to hold what's described as a "crunch" meeting tomorrow after scientists warned closures may be necessary to slow the spread of the new Covid variant.
Only primary school children and students in Year 11 and 13 will return to classrooms next week, says Michael Gove
Cabinet Office minister Mr Gove has said the Government wants the staggered reopening of schools in England from next Monday, meaning most children over the age of 11 will be taught remotely for at least the first week. It means the Government has given in to pressure from teachers and unions that millions of children will be taught online to allow coronavirus testing to take place and for teachers to be vaccinated. All primary schools will be open, while years 11 and 13 and key workers' children will attend secondary schools from Monday. 'We always keep things under review but teachers and head teachers have been working incredibly hard over the Christmas period since schools broke up in order to prepare for a new testing regime - community testing - in order to make sure that children and all of us are safer,' Mr Gove told Sky
Cabinet split over schools reopening as Hancock and Gove back teaching unions' calls to stay shut and parents beg for clarity with just days until classes are due to resume
The Prime Minister is considering consigning millions of children to more 'inadequate' online learning that experts believe sets back children 'years', particularly those from working class backgrounds. SAGE scientists have urged Mr Johnson to impose an even tougher third national lockdown including keeping all schools closed throughout January to curb the new mutant coronavirus strain as it emerged 1,500 military personnel would be deployed to ensure that testing systems were up and running by the time pupils returned for the new term in January. The SAGE warning is said to have spooked Health Secretary Matt Hancock and Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove who are both said to have suggested that the reopening of schools might have to be delayed, according to The Times. In a meeting hosted by No 10, Education Secretary Gavin Williamson argued that they must stick to the plan of a staggered start to the new term, with children in years 11 and 13, and those with key worker parents, going to secondary school from Monday with the rest returning on January 11. Primary Schools would open as usual on January 4. Nicola Mason, head of Chase Terrace Academy in Burntwood, Staffordshire, has said the Government's mass testing plans for secondary schools with the support of the military had lead to a lot of 'stress and panic' for teachers over Christmas.
The coronavirus crisis and Wednesday's Brexit vote are the main topics on the day's newspaper front pages.
The Times reports that hospitals in London are running out of intensive care beds and drawing up plans to send patients to other parts of the country.
The Guardian says doctors fear hospitals could soon face "horrendous choices" about which Covid-19 patients receive potentially life saving treatment because the NHS is so dangerously overloaded.
According to the i paper, the government is to place most areas in England under the highest tier four - "stay at home" - restrictions. The Sun says Lancashire, the Midlands and Cumbria could be affected. "New Tiers Eve", is its headline.
The Daily Mirror says care home bosses have accused the government of breaking a promise to get residents and staff urgently vaccinated. It says the vaccine is being rolled out to the 2,900 largest homes, but there are 15,000 homes in the UK.
An NHS spokesman tells the paper that despite the logistical challenges, thousands of care home residents and tens of thousands of staff have received a jab. The official adds that the Oxford vaccine - when approved - will be easier to manoeuvre.
According to the Daily Telegraph, the prime minister is expected to chair a meeting today to decide if delaying the opening of secondary schools in England to all pupils for just a week until the middle of January will be sufficient to stem the disease.
One source tells the paper: "Delaying for a week is not going to be enough for the scientists. If we are going to do something, then it needs to be for the whole of January".
Football 'cool-off' The Telegraph also reports that Premier League clubs have discussed a two-week "cooling-off" break in the season next month over fears of coronavirus outbreaks causing chaos. The informal talks followed the positive tests that caused the postponement of the Manchester City-Everton game on Monday and affected several more clubs yesterday, it says.
The Sunday Telegraph interprets the comments by the head of Ofsted, Amanda Spielman, as a rebuff to those calling for all schools in England to stay closed indefinitely.
In the Telegraph's account, the education unions are attempting to impose a total shutdown and there are fears the situation could drag on for months, with teachers refusing to go to school.
The Observer says some Conservatives believe that a return to the classroom may have to be delayed until the February half-term. The former health secretary, Jeremy Hunt, tells the paper it is "massively risky" to open schools when so many parts of the NHS are "teetering on the brink".
Writing in the Mail on Sunday, Education Secretary Gavin Williamson urges everyone to "move heaven and earth" to get children back into school. He says both his daughters have had to self-isolate and have missed being in the classroom - so he knows how difficult the last year has been.
The Sunday Times thinks we're moving inexorably towards more school closures and it tells Mr Williamson to get a grip before his failings become a totem for the government.
Sonia Sodha, in the Observer, accuses him of breathtaking incompetence and describes him as a new species of cabinet minister: "Too rubbish to fail."
But in the opinion of the Sunday Telegraph, what we are seeing is the "flexing of political muscle" by militant teachers who, having humiliated Mr Williamson once, are determined to do it again.
The Sunday Mirror argues that teaching unions are "rightly furious" at another shambles of the government's own making.
The Sun on Sunday calls on Prime Minister Boris Johnson to consider giving teachers the coronavirus vaccine as a "top priority" to avoid a damaging stand-off.
Analysis by the Sunday Times suggests that 13 million people in England live in constituencies which as yet have no vaccination centre to administer jabs.
The Daily Mirror describes the lockdown as "yet another U-turn" by the prime minister. It accuses the government of "shameful bungling, indecision and weakness" which, once again, it says, means it's down to the public to show "strength, self-sacrifice and kindness".
The Metro calls it "Lockdown Number 3", explaining that it's now "against the law" to leave home other than for essential reasons - in fact, England's new rules only become law early on Wednesday.
The Financial Times says Mr Johnson's "sharp switch in position" has resulted in "the immediate closure" of all schools until mid-February.
The Guardian reminds readers that it was just hours since the prime minister urged millions of pupils to return to classrooms - but they now have to switch to online learning. It highlights Mr Johnson's admission that parents would "reasonably ask why we did not make this decision sooner".
The Daily Telegraph points to the prime minister's explanation that he wasn't closing schools because they were unsafe - but because they were "vectors" of the virus.
The Daily Express describes the new lockdown as "tough" but says 13 million people are set to be vaccinated "in weeks", declaring that the vaccine "will end the struggle".
The Daily Star pokes fun at Mr Johnson's indecisiveness - super-imposing his face onto the Little Britain character, Vicky Pollard, and splashing her "yeh but no but yeh" catchphrase over its front page.
The paper says the prime minister "finally made up his mind" to put the country into lockdown and shut classrooms, just a day after assuring the nation that schools were safe.
The Daily Telegraph's "Matt" cartoon pictures an elderly man gazing out of the window of his living room, saying: "Now a ghastly South African strain of Covid and EVEN tougher restrictions. God, I miss 2020!"
Meanwhile, the PM's decision-making - or therein lack of - is fair game for many of the papers' editorial and comment pieces.
For the Guardian, John Crace accuses the prime minister of being "pathologically unable to make the right calls at the right time", and his indecision, he says, costs lives. The sketch writer believes that "like clockwork", the government does "what most reasonable people would have done" several weeks earlier.
And in the i, Oliver Duff claims that Covid-19 "thrives on indecision". He thinks teachers, students and parents are justified in feeling angry about what he says was Mr Johnson's "amateurish" decision to urge pupils to return to schools across the country, only to close them hours later.
But the Telegraph's editorial praises Mr Johnson for being "commendably reluctant" to put the country "into hibernation" - and the inevitable negative knock-on effects - arguing that earlier lockdowns in other parts of the UK and other countries have "made no difference".
Comments
NEW Government sources said on Monday that a delay to the return of secondary school children was being considered amid fears that children are more likely to catch the new mutant strain of coronavirus.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9078435/Priti-Patel-says-school-children-eventually-return-classrooms-New-Year.html
Re-testing of some students found six undetected positive cases among 100
Scientists said the accuracy of the rapid tests raised concerns about their use
Programme using the same test in Liverpool found they were 50% accurate
Government has spent more than £600m on the Innova rapid swab tests
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9078417/Rapid-Covid-tests-used-Operation-Moonshot-CAUSE-outbreaks-schools.html
The paper reports that 80% of the 15,000 homes in England are not currently being considered for the Pfizer/BioNTech inoculation that's already been approved.
The Department of Health and Social Care is quoted saying: "We are working hard to vaccinate all care home residents and workers as quickly and safely as possible."
According to the Sunday Mirror, doctors are warning that the distribution of coronavirus vaccines could turn into what it describes as a "PPE-style fiasco".
That's a reference to the delays in providing personal protective equipment at the start of the pandemic.
The Mirror says failed deliveries to some GP surgeries have led to appointments being cancelled. But an NHS told it any delays were "corrected within 24 hours".
According to the Sunday Telegraph, Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has warned allies that he faces an "enormous battle", to keep secondary schools in England open in January.
It reports that officials from Downing Street and the Department for Education are expected to hold what's described as a "crunch" meeting tomorrow after scientists warned closures may be necessary to slow the spread of the new Covid variant.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-55456431
Cabinet Office minister Mr Gove has said the Government wants the staggered reopening of schools in England from next Monday, meaning most children over the age of 11 will be taught remotely for at least the first week. It means the Government has given in to pressure from teachers and unions that millions of children will be taught online to allow coronavirus testing to take place and for teachers to be vaccinated. All primary schools will be open, while years 11 and 13 and key workers' children will attend secondary schools from Monday. 'We always keep things under review but teachers and head teachers have been working incredibly hard over the Christmas period since schools broke up in order to prepare for a new testing regime - community testing - in order to make sure that children and all of us are safer,' Mr Gove told Sky
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/index.html
The Prime Minister is considering consigning millions of children to more 'inadequate' online learning that experts believe sets back children 'years', particularly those from working class backgrounds. SAGE scientists have urged Mr Johnson to impose an even tougher third national lockdown including keeping all schools closed throughout January to curb the new mutant coronavirus strain as it emerged 1,500 military personnel would be deployed to ensure that testing systems were up and running by the time pupils returned for the new term in January. The SAGE warning is said to have spooked Health Secretary Matt Hancock and Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove who are both said to have suggested that the reopening of schools might have to be delayed, according to The Times. In a meeting hosted by No 10, Education Secretary Gavin Williamson argued that they must stick to the plan of a staggered start to the new term, with children in years 11 and 13, and those with key worker parents, going to secondary school from Monday with the rest returning on January 11. Primary Schools would open as usual on January 4. Nicola Mason, head of Chase Terrace Academy in Burntwood, Staffordshire, has said the Government's mass testing plans for secondary schools with the support of the military had lead to a lot of 'stress and panic' for teachers over Christmas.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9094883/Parents-teachers-begging-Boris-Johnson-make-decision-reopening-schools-January.html
The Times reports that hospitals in London are running out of intensive care beds and drawing up plans to send patients to other parts of the country.
The Guardian says doctors fear hospitals could soon face "horrendous choices" about which Covid-19 patients receive potentially life saving treatment because the NHS is so dangerously overloaded.
According to the i paper, the government is to place most areas in England under the highest tier four - "stay at home" - restrictions. The Sun says Lancashire, the Midlands and Cumbria could be affected. "New Tiers Eve", is its headline.
The Daily Mirror says care home bosses have accused the government of breaking a promise to get residents and staff urgently vaccinated. It says the vaccine is being rolled out to the 2,900 largest homes, but there are 15,000 homes in the UK.
An NHS spokesman tells the paper that despite the logistical challenges, thousands of care home residents and tens of thousands of staff have received a jab. The official adds that the Oxford vaccine - when approved - will be easier to manoeuvre.
According to the Daily Telegraph, the prime minister is expected to chair a meeting today to decide if delaying the opening of secondary schools in England to all pupils for just a week until the middle of January will be sufficient to stem the disease.
One source tells the paper: "Delaying for a week is not going to be enough for the scientists. If we are going to do something, then it needs to be for the whole of January".
Football 'cool-off'
The Telegraph also reports that Premier League clubs have discussed a two-week "cooling-off" break in the season next month over fears of coronavirus outbreaks causing chaos. The informal talks followed the positive tests that caused the postponement of the Manchester City-Everton game on Monday and affected several more clubs yesterday, it says.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-55480749
The Sunday Telegraph interprets the comments by the head of Ofsted, Amanda Spielman, as a rebuff to those calling for all schools in England to stay closed indefinitely.
In the Telegraph's account, the education unions are attempting to impose a total shutdown and there are fears the situation could drag on for months, with teachers refusing to go to school.
The Observer says some Conservatives believe that a return to the classroom may have to be delayed until the February half-term. The former health secretary, Jeremy Hunt, tells the paper it is "massively risky" to open schools when so many parts of the NHS are "teetering on the brink".
Writing in the Mail on Sunday, Education Secretary Gavin Williamson urges everyone to "move heaven and earth" to get children back into school. He says both his daughters have had to self-isolate and have missed being in the classroom - so he knows how difficult the last year has been.
The Sunday Times thinks we're moving inexorably towards more school closures and it tells Mr Williamson to get a grip before his failings become a totem for the government.
Sonia Sodha, in the Observer, accuses him of breathtaking incompetence and describes him as a new species of cabinet minister: "Too rubbish to fail."
But in the opinion of the Sunday Telegraph, what we are seeing is the "flexing of political muscle" by militant teachers who, having humiliated Mr Williamson once, are determined to do it again.
The Sunday Mirror argues that teaching unions are "rightly furious" at another shambles of the government's own making.
The Sun on Sunday calls on Prime Minister Boris Johnson to consider giving teachers the coronavirus vaccine as a "top priority" to avoid a damaging stand-off.
Analysis by the Sunday Times suggests that 13 million people in England live in constituencies which as yet have no vaccination centre to administer jabs.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-55518940
The Metro calls it "Lockdown Number 3", explaining that it's now "against the law" to leave home other than for essential reasons - in fact, England's new rules only become law early on Wednesday.
The Financial Times says Mr Johnson's "sharp switch in position" has resulted in "the immediate closure" of all schools until mid-February.
The Guardian reminds readers that it was just hours since the prime minister urged millions of pupils to return to classrooms - but they now have to switch to online learning. It highlights Mr Johnson's admission that parents would "reasonably ask why we did not make this decision sooner".
The Daily Telegraph points to the prime minister's explanation that he wasn't closing schools because they were unsafe - but because they were "vectors" of the virus.
The Daily Express describes the new lockdown as "tough" but says 13 million people are set to be vaccinated "in weeks", declaring that the vaccine "will end the struggle".
The Daily Star pokes fun at Mr Johnson's indecisiveness - super-imposing his face onto the Little Britain character, Vicky Pollard, and splashing her "yeh but no but yeh" catchphrase over its front page.
The paper says the prime minister "finally made up his mind" to put the country into lockdown and shut classrooms, just a day after assuring the nation that schools were safe.
The Daily Telegraph's "Matt" cartoon pictures an elderly man gazing out of the window of his living room, saying: "Now a ghastly South African strain of Covid and EVEN tougher restrictions. God, I miss 2020!"
Meanwhile, the PM's decision-making - or therein lack of - is fair game for many of the papers' editorial and comment pieces.
For the Guardian, John Crace accuses the prime minister of being "pathologically unable to make the right calls at the right time", and his indecision, he says, costs lives. The sketch writer believes that "like clockwork", the government does "what most reasonable people would have done" several weeks earlier.
And in the i, Oliver Duff claims that Covid-19 "thrives on indecision". He thinks teachers, students and parents are justified in feeling angry about what he says was Mr Johnson's "amateurish" decision to urge pupils to return to schools across the country, only to close them hours later.
But the Telegraph's editorial praises Mr Johnson for being "commendably reluctant" to put the country "into hibernation" - and the inevitable negative knock-on effects - arguing that earlier lockdowns in other parts of the UK and other countries have "made no difference".
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-55539635