UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday it was “vitally important” that children return to classes in September, in an attempt to convince parents still wary of COVID-19 risks in schools.
“It’s vitally important that we get our children back into the classroom to learn and to be with their friends. Nothing will have a greater effect on the life chances of our children than returning to school,” Johnson said in a statement.
In his plea, the prime minister echoed a joint report issued on Sunday by the chief medical officers of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland that says the risk of contracting the coronavirus in school is very small and that it is far more damaging for the child’s physical and mental health to be away from school.
Johnson, who has previously called the reopening of schools “a moral duty,” also thanked the school staff for spending the summer holidays making classroom COVID-19-secure in preparation for a full return in September.
Parents, headteachers and teacher unions have asked the government for guidance for the reopening of schools and a plan B in case of a coronavirus outbreak at schools.
According to a study published on Sunday by Public Health England, 70 children and 128 school staff contracted the COVID-19 during the partial return that took place in June.
