SCHOOLS PARTIALLY RE-OPENING NEXT MONDAY 1 JUNE

Earlier this evening, Thursday 28 May, PM Johnson confirmed that schools will begin to re-open next Monday 1 June for certain year groups.  That's reception, year 1 and year 6.  That only gives schools three whole days over the weekend to finish preparations and communicate with parents.

Many schools have been open for children of key workers.  So they already have experience of what it is like to operate under the threat of this SARS2 coronavirus.

As a result of that experience, it is clear that adult-to-adult transmission of the virus is a bigger risk than between children or children-to-adults.

Fortunately children do not appear to be that susceptible to the virus, either to contract the COVID-19 disease nor to transmit it. However those risks are not zero, and so the government is encouraging schools to adopt a new approach to teaching children.

Indeed children have been the focus of government statements and media discussion.  Of course parents are most concerned about their children .

But there's a far bigger COVID-19 risk to teachers, other staff and the parents themselves.  It is the adults who could most adversely affect the R value, which must not go over 1.0.  Else new exponential growth in cases will start and another lockdown will inevitably be required.  Nobody wants that.


EARLIER ASSESSMENTS

Having spoken to the head of Key Stage 1 at a school, covering 5-7 year-olds, I posted an assessment of the obvious risks, with the focus on adults.

I then compared that to the guidance "Opening schools for more children and young people: initial planning framework for schools in England" updated to 12 May.   The guidance covers virtually all the risks I had previously identified.  But a number of improvements to the guidance were needed.

There is also some other guidance such as "Actions for schools during the coronavirus outbreak" updated 18 May 2020, 


This includes the advice "...employers will need to undertake and review risk assessments in line with these changes" .It is unlikely that all risks will be "low".  Some will be "medium" and sometimes "high". 







FINAL GUIDANCE MISSING

Both these guidance documents say they would be updated before 1 June.  As of writing this post on the evening of 28 May, there is no new guidance on the government website.  However updated guidance may have been sent directly to schools.

Nor is there any obvious final guidance as to whether schools and their local authorities have any flexibility on delaying their opening.  Nor whether parents can withold their children from returning to school.  Though there is some earlier guidance that again needs to be updated.

These updates should have been available to accompany the PM's announcement..  If they are there, they are hidden.



THE RISK TO R

R is now estimated as being 0.7-0.9.  That leaves little room for error..

Best of luck to all the schools woth their new mode of operation.  Let's hope R doesn't rise such that schools will; have to close again!

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