Pupils could take new 90min test Vulnerable kids suffer
NEW 90-minute coronavirus tests could be used in schools, as No10 confirmed a return in September amid fears of a second wave.
Almost half a million “on the spot” tests that detect Covid-19 and flu will be rolled out in care homes, hospitals and laboratories.
Matt Hancock hailed the two new test types as a “big step forward” and suggested they could be used in schools. He added that the development will help people “get tested more quickly so we can find out where the virus is and tackle it and keep those rates of infection down”.
Meanwhile a No10 spokesman called reopening schools next month an “absolute commitment” for Boris Johnson but added that ministers can close individual schools if there is a “very specific localised lockdown”.
OUR most vulnerable children’s mental health has deteriorated significantly in lockdown, says a child poverty charity.
Frontline workers have seen an 84% rise in issues, according to Buttle UK.
A study found 75% have noted an increase in behavioural problems and 74% reported more difficult parentchild relationships. Redundancies are thought to be 20 times higher than in the general population. The report also found 83% of frontline workers have seen a rise in the need for foodbanks.
Joseph Howes, CEO of Buttle UK, called for authorities to act now to prevent a “lost generation”. He said: The pandemic has only amplified the difficulties that existed in their lives.”