Covid: Cumbria Council to support schools over opening decision

It is up to individual schools whether or not to reopen fully, but the government says they should

Cumbria County Council says it will support schools who decide not to fully open amid fears of spreading Covid-19.

The council previously asked the government to postpone the reopening of the county's schools by two weeks, echoing a call by teaching unions.

A number of schools have said they will stay closed until at least Tuesday "due to Covid-19".

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has urged parents to send children to school, saying the risk was "very, very low".

It is up to individual schools whether to open fully, allow only vulnerable pupils and the children of key workers to attend, or keep buildings closed and move to online teaching.

Cumbria County Council leader Stewart Young said he was "disappointed" the council's postponement plea had been rejected, adding: "I feel that this is the wrong decision for Cumbria and for our families and communities."

He said: "Sadly the situation in Cumbria continues to get worse and we are seeing significant increases in the number of people infected with Covid.

"We feel strongly that more needs to be done to help protect residents and our communities and we are deeply concerned about the likelihood of further significant transmission as a result of schools reopening from Monday.

"I give an assurance that any school in Cumbria that decides that at the present time they are only able to extend direct provision to vulnerable children and the children of key workers, and that they cannot open the school fully in line with government instruction, will have the full support and backing of Cumbria County Council."

The North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust, which runs hospitals in Carlisle and Whitehaven, has declared its most serious level alert due to a "significant rise" in coronavirus cases.

Carlisle has the highest level of cases in the county at 765 per 100,000 per population, and although the rate in the Copeland area is lower at 196, cases there have almost tripled in the past week.