Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
LONG TERM PLAN
» Schools may stay open into August » NHS hits 1,000 doses a minute
CLASSROOMS could be open for longer in the summer term to help pupils recover from lockdown and catch up on work.
Number 10 is said to be weighing up a two-week extension for England’s schools into the first week of August, with those days redistributed as holidays in the autumn and winter, a senior Tory claimed.
Many schools are due to break up for summer on July 23 but delaying that would allow pupils to attend while buildings’ doors and windows can be open – improving ventilation and reducing the risk of infection.
Robert Halfon, the Conservative chairman of the Education Select Committee, was reported as saying the change to the school year is under consideration by ministers.
He said: ‘We have to reform the school year. Things cannot carry on the way they did pre-covid.
From my discussions with No10, everything is up for debate.”
The NHS has been ramping up the vaccination drive, with 979 people a minute receiving jabs on Saturday between 11am and noon, the Vaccines Minister, Nadhim Zahawi, declared.
Ministers have confirmed that 12 million people have been vaccinated with the first dose but, asked whether the Government will meet its target of 15 million by mid-february, Mr Zahawi said: “The limiting factor is vaccine supply.” However, he is confident of being able to offer everybody over 50 and those aged 16 to 65 with certain health conditions a jab by May.
He added that the UK is beginning to store second doses.
Oxford vaccine lead researcher Professor Sarah Gilbert said that her team is working on having a version of the Oxford jab that can tackle the South Africa mutation “available for autumn”.
In the meantime, even if the
vaccine proved less effective against variants, the protection given would still take the pressure off the NHS.
She said: “Maybe we won’t be reducing the number of cases as much but we still won’t be seeing the deaths, hospitalisations and severe disease.”
Ministers said that immunity “passports” will not be issued but those inoculated can ask GPS for written proof if they need to travel.
Popular destinations, including Greece and Australia, have said they will only waive quarantine rules for those who have proof of a jab. Asked whether passports were being considered, Mr Zahawi ruled it out, saying it would be discriminatory.
He added: “The right thing to do is make sure that people come forward to be vaccinated because they want to, rather than it be made in some way mandatory through a passport.”
Labour’s Shadow Business Secretary Ed Miliband raised questions over how passports would be used.
He said: “Is it just for international travel? Is it for as you go about your business in your society?”
The PM is due to give an update this month on the lifting of restrictions.
The target is for schools to return on March 8, and reports have claimed non-essential shops could reopen in April, followed by pubs in May.
However NHS chiefs have warned infections must plunge by another 95%, to 1,000 a day, before lockdown is lifted. Chris Hopson, chief executive of NHS Providers, said: “We have crested the peak but we’re only just beginning the descent.”
But a leading scientist yesterday urged the reintroduction of the “rule of six”, with small outdoor gatherings being possible as early as next month.
Tim Spector, professor of genetic epidemiology, added very large gatherings might be forced to keep restrictions for “a few years”.
Meanwhile, Shakin’ Stevens, 72, spoke of his relief yesterday after getting the jab, despite a fear of needles.