SCHOOLS BACK BUT LOCKDOWN CONTINUES By Easter...’

SOME pupils will begin to return to school before the end of the month – but lockdown will be extended until the end of February at least. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced that means the stayat-home message will remain in place, keeping shops and hospitality closed for longer.

Primary pupils in P1-3 classes will return fully on February 22, after the mid-term break.

Early learning classes and childcare can return on that date too,

Only some senior pupils in secondary schools will be allowed back this month.

She said older pupils, in S4-6, will only be able to return to ensure practical work important to achieving qualifications is completed and only between 5% and 8% of any secondary school’s roll should be able to return.

All other primary and secondary pupils will continue to use remote learning until at least the beginning of March, except for vulnerable children and the children of key workers.

The First Minister said: “I have to be candid, our room for manoeuvre is limited but government is determined to use every inch of headroom to get pupils back to school.”

To reduce the risk of further outbreaks anyone working in schools or childcare settings in Scotland, as well as older pupils, will be routinely tested twice a week.

Sturgeon said if cases and hospital numbers continue to decline then she hopes there could be some changes to the full lockdown early in March, and will announce more details in two weeks.

She said: “If our progress continues, then I am cautiously optimistic that, as more and more people get vaccinated and with the protection of some of the additional measures, we may be able to begin looking towards a careful and gradual easing around the start of March.”

Enhanced testing and quarantine for people travelling to Scotland will be put in place, to try to prevent any outbreaks leading to case numbers increasing again.

Sturgeon said there will be a “managed quarantine requirement for anyone who arrives directly into Scotland, regardless of which country they have come from”.

Testing will be extended to cover food processing and distribution workers and staff within emergency service control rooms.

There will be targeted community testing for people regardless of whether or not they have symptoms.

The latest daily statistics showed there were 758 new positive cases reported. A total of 261 cases were in the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde health board.

There were 1939 people in hospital, down 19, and 143 people were in intensive care, the same number as the day before. A further 69 deaths were registered.

that way to start with!”

Nadine Boyle said: “Imagine having different primary school ages though... One stays, one goes, one at risk, one at home, but also at risk of that child bringing it home.”

Clare Rowan Carey wrote: “My son has additional needs and is refusing to do any work so any return to school is a great idea.”