Why it’s vital that schools are fully open by September

Chris Whitty, the chief medical officer, was explicit at Wednesday’s press conference about how concerned he was about a second Covid-19 spike in the winter months. This would coincide with the flu season, placing maximum pressure on the NHS.

One consequence of this is that if something is not open by the beginning of October, it isn’t going to be open until the end of February next year. As one of those at the heart of coronavirus policy-making warns: ‘If Sage are this cautious going into summer, then they are not going to want to be playing fast and loose with the R number heading into winter.’

This shows why it is so imperative that all year groups return to school in September. If they do not, then – as I say in the magazine this week – there is a risk that children could end up not being back until the second half of the Easter term.