Another Johnson Covid claim bites the dust: scientists say opening all schools is not ‘safe’
Boris Johnson: he seems to think we’ll accept any old nonsense that comes out of his mouth.
Isn’t it a good thing Tories like Boris Johnson and Matt Hancock don’t have any reputation of honesty to ruin?
If they had, the Covid-19 crisis would have scuttled them double-quick.
As it is, it should be no surprise to anybody that Johnson’s claim, last week, that “it is safe” for pupils to return to school is bunkum.
On Friday Mr Johnson, speaking at a primary school in Hemel Hempstead, said he wanted all year groups in all schools to return in September.
Minutes from the Government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) on May 21 reveal that extending the easing of restrictions through social bubbles or opening schools for all age groups would reopen transmission networks.
That means it would almost certainly ensure that more people started catching the disease again.
The minutes argue that although parents and teachers had a “relatively young age profile” which meant a lower level of risk of suffering from Covid-19, it urged “very careful monitoring and evaluation of infection in schools after any reopening”.
Reopening schools or non-essential retail “would require a significant effort to ensure that environments are appropriate to minimise transmission” such as distancing and hygiene measures.
Opening non-essential retail would lead to a “modest increase” in contacts of between 10 percentage points.
The minutes say: “Sage advised that overall public adherence with social distancing measures will likely be diminished by HMG signalling its intent to release even some of the measures.”
Source: Coronavirus latest: Scientists warn opening all schools will have a ‘large effect on the epidemic’
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It won’t be safe to reopen pubs either. Meanwhile, no mention either way of whether the Jobcentres are reopening or not.
It won’t be safe but the government will relax the 2m rule because the pub trade won’t get much business otherwise. I wonder how much the likes of Wetherspoons are bunging them for this?
Especially those schools which have been provisioned with the 5G systems.Ditto for colleges ,Universities, Hospitals, Care Home Police Stations ,Libraries etc.