Christmas on campus for students not ruled out by Hancock

UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said he is not ruling out the prospect of asking students to stay on campus over Christmas, amid coronavirus clusters in university halls.

At the University of Glasgow, 124 students have tested positive and more than 600 are self-isolating across residences. In Dundee, 500 Abertay University students were asked to self-isolate this week in student accommodation where three people have tested positive.

In an interview on Times Radio, Mr Hancock was asked whether students would be encouraged to stay at university over Christmas.

He said: “We have said that students should stay at university until Christmas... We don’t rule out the suggestion you just made but I don’t want to have to say that. It is some time off.

“I very much hope that we won’t have to say that, but as I say I don’t rule it out.

“The important thing is in the shortterm, students once they’ve gone to university should stay at university so as not to spread the disease.”

Downing Street also did not rule out such a move in the event of outbreaks.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “What is important in the event there is a specific outbreak on a campus is that steps are taken to ensure that the virus is not spread more widely.”

Scotland’s national clinical director Professor Jason Leitch warned he is “very concerned” at the situation.

Speaking on BBC Breakfast he said: “Predictably, we have cases. Every country in the world that has brought universities back has got cases.

“We need to be very, very careful. Even though most of those cases will not get serious illness, some of them will and some of them will potentially spread it to the community.”

Minutes from a meeting of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) earlier this month warned the risks of outbreaks spilling over from higher education institutions are more likely towards the end of term when students return home, coinciding with Christmas and new year.

It warned this could pose a risk to families and local communities and said the situation will require “national oversight, monitoring and decisionmaking”.

Greg Fell, director of public health for Sheffield, told Times Radio: “Clearly there are going to be times when students do legitimately need to go home for all sorts of reasons.

“But the recommendation is to stay in place, basically.”

The University and College Union said the UK Government must tell universities to make online learning their default position immediately.

Its general secretary Jo Grady said: “Unless the Government acts now, thousands more students will move on to campus this weekend.

“It is completely irresponsible to let students go back to university when outbreaks have already started.”