Coronavirus: Balance of risk 'strongly in favour' of return to school - Chris Whitty

Many more children are likely to be harmed by not going to school than by going, even during the coronavirus pandemic, England's chief medical officer has said.

Prof Chris Whitty said "the chances of children dying from Covid-19 are incredibly small", but the damage caused when children do not attend school is "incredibly clear".

He said that re-opening schools will "probably lead to some increase in transmission", but this is more likely to take place as adults meet at the school gate or return to work than directly within schools.

Evidence from when schools have reopened in other parts of the world does not show a sudden surge in transmission that appears to have taken place as a result, Prof Whitty added.