Doctors’ union drops opposition to schools reopening on June 1 and says coronavirus risk to kids is ‘ - The Sun

A DOCTORS' union has said it no longer opposes the reopening of schools on June 1.

The British Medical Association said evidence shows the risk to kids is "extremely small," but schools should only reopen if it is “safe to do so".

⚠️ Read our coronavirus live blog for the latest news & updates

Pupils listen to their teacher in Nice, France, as countries across Europe reopen schoolsCredit: Reuters

Schoolchildren wearing protective face masks line up before entering Claude Debussy college in FranceCredit: AFP or licensors

Schoolchildren wear protective mouth masks and face shields at a school in Angers, western FranceCredit: AFP or licensors

Last week, doctors said it was too risky for kids to return to schools, despite the country's biggest primary school chains backing the Government's plans.

In an apparent softening of its stance, the British Medical Association (BMA) has admitted there was “growing evidence that the risk to individual children from Covid-19 is extremely small."

However, it warned there was still no consensus around how easily kids could spread the disease to vulnerable adults.

Writing for The Telegraph, Dr Peter English, the chairman of the BMA’s Public Health Medicine Committee, said: “The BMA wants schools to reopen as soon as it is safe to do so and the evidence allows – this could be before June 1 or after.

"A zero-risk approach is not possible. This is about ‘safe’ being an acceptable level of risk.”

UNION WARS

Dame Angela McLean, the deputy chief scientific adviser, said an effective track and trace system was needed to isolate those infected by the coronavirus before changes were made to lockdown rules.

She told The Times that this should be based on "observed levels of infection . . . and not on a fixed date".

And scientist John Edmunds, another member of SAGE, told Sky News that a track and trace system must be "embedded and working well" before schools re-opened.

Teaching unions are opposed to the Government's plan to re-open schools on June 1, claiming teachers, pupils and their families will be at risk of catching the deadly virus.

They were backed last week by the British Medical Association, who said unions were "absolutely right" to urge caution and prioritise testing before reopening schools on June 1.

BMA council's chair, Chaand Nagpaul, the BMA council's chair, said at the time: "We cannot risk a second spike or take actions which would increase the spread of this virus, particularly as we see sustained rates of infection across the UK."

Our current assessment is that schools aren’t safe to open, as our five tests have not been met.

Kevin Courtney, NEU

Kevin Courtney, the joint general secretary of the National Education Union (NEU), refused to back down on Tuesday, saying: “Our current assessment is that schools aren’t safe to open, as our five tests have not been met.

"But if our five tests are met, then on a national level, it would be permissible to go ahead with reopening schools.”

According to the Daily Mail, its leaders were caught making a series of slurs in a Zoom meeting last night.

The video footage exposed the joint general secretary Mary Bousted accusing children of being mucky by spreading germs and wiping their snot on people's clothes.

The hard-line leaders also discussed how to threaten headteachers should they try to get their staff back to work.

The NEU’s five tests include lowering the number of virus cases, plans for social distancing, more testing, strategies for entire schools and protection for the vulnerable.

JUNE DELAY

The reopening of primary schools could be delayed beyond June 1 as local authorities yesterday advised their schools to stay closed, including the first Tory-run council.

The Government made clear today that every school’s circumstances were different and that if a head teacher felt unable to open next month, they should “discuss options” with their local authority or trust.

SUITCASE DEATH RIDDLE

First pic of woman found 'chopped in half' and torso dumped in cases

double tragedy

Twins, 3, burn to death 'holding hands' after 'locking mum out of the house'

A-RAISE SIR TOM

Captain Tom Moore, 100, to be knighted after raising £39m for NHS

Exclusive

TAKEAWAY RAID

Masked thugs open fire in kebab shop blasting bullet into chicken doner

Exclusive

TEEN 'MURDER'

CCTV shows teen shot on way to Lidl by ‘drive-by gunman aiming for car wash’

Live Blog

COVID CRISIS

Coronavirus UK LIVE: Death toll hits 35,341 as 545 more people die

It comes as France makes a mockery of British demands, with teachers returning to French schools wearing masks and taking simple extra precautions.

They are among 22 European to countries which have re-opened classrooms - and evidence suggests that doing so has not been harmful to kids or teachers.

A schoolboy has his temperature checked at a school in FranceCredit: AFP or licensors

A teacher wears a protective masks as she gives her lessonCredit: Getty Images - Getty

CORONAVIRUS CRISIS - STAY IN THE KNOW

Don't miss the latest news and figures - and essential advice for you and your family.

To receive The Sun's Coronavirus newsletter in your inbox every tea time, sign up here.
To follow us on Facebook, simply 'Like' our Coronavirus page.
Get Britain's best-selling newspaper delivered to your smartphone or tablet each day - find out more.

Tony Blair BACKS Government plans to reopen schools on June 1

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiVmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnRoZXN1bi5jby51ay9uZXdzLzExNjYyNjM4L2RvY3RvcnMtdW5pb24tZHJvcHMtb3Bwb3NpdGlvbi1zY2hvb2xzLW9wZW5pbmcv0gFaaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cudGhlc3VuLmNvLnVrL25ld3MvMTE2NjI2MzgvZG9jdG9ycy11bmlvbi1kcm9wcy1vcHBvc2l0aW9uLXNjaG9vbHMtb3BlbmluZy9hbXAv?oc=5

2020-05-20 03:23:32Z
52780793864289