We will find out in a week if children will be back in school straight after half term

[choosingcrumble]

According to this report, we will find out next week if children will be back in school straight after half term. What is your prediction?

news.sky.com/story/covid-19-schools-to-get-two-weeks-notice-before-reopening-says-education-secretary-gavin-williamson-12194215?fbclid=IwAR01kL4lnGyWXKjseFgMhnayMvYwmYwfS_y3wUDxGd3mco2-vlhUD7nvIV0

@Hope4theBestPlan4theWorst How many times do people have to say "vaccinate teachers and were good to go for schools" - this is rubbish, vaccinating teachers does nothing for reducing community transmission which schools are a major vector of and in addition vaccinating teachers does nothing to stop "bursting bubbles" in schools either.

[quote Rosehip10]@Hope4theBestPlan4theWorst How many times do people have to say "vaccinate teachers and were good to go for schools" - this is rubbish, vaccinating teachers does nothing for reducing community transmission which schools are a major vector of and in addition vaccinating teachers does nothing to stop "bursting bubbles" in schools either.[/quote]
No but it keeps staff safe to go without PPE into small rooms each day with many children.

I agree that schools need to be open as soon as possible but staff deserve to be as safe as possible when that happens.

The only thing vaccinating teachers will do is stop schools having to close due to lack of staff, although will need to vaccinate more than just teachers.

I’d like to see them vaccinate teachers so they hopefully don’t get ill whilst sitting with a bunch of kids. Never mind the effect it has on opening schools or not

Also if the government did choose to vaccinate all school staff as a priority then you can bet your life there would be political considerations - any concerns/complaints about on-going safety in schools, assessment for this year etc etc will be dismissed and briefed to the public and parents as "we have protected teachers and look they STILL don't care about your kids". Teachers/teaching unions would be naive to think this wouldn't happen.....

I can't see how things will have improved for schools to go back after half term. That would be 4 weeks time. Death rates are at the highest .

Vaccinating teachers before vulnerable people would be ridiculous. The vaccine list isn't ordered to keep individuals safe and healthy, it's done to keep the NHS coping. Vulnerable teachers are in the order already due to age or condition. The rest of us are so unlikely to get seriously ill that the effect of vaccinating 100s of 1000s of us woukd have a negligible effect on the hospitals. Whereas bumping vulnerable people further down the list for us will prolong the pressure the hospitals are under and cost many more lives.

Yes, it's awful for the tiny minority of healthy key workers who will get very ill. But that doesn't mean we should be moved up the order just on case.

If we had all the vaccine in the world and could get school staff and adults who live with school children vaccinated, then they would make a difference. But just school staff alone won't help.

Gavlar said no (as he was hauled over the coals this morning)

@Lifeispassingby

How do you work that out? Gavin Williamson has said will get 2 weeks notice- but that’s not next week, half term isn't 3 weeks away?

Quoting the article - so haven't worked it out at all.

I do wonder if Gav just pulled two weeks out without thinking

It’s a crazy use of time when cases change quickly

@Boxachocs

Half term here is 15th Feb, which means schools would go back on Monday 22nd Feb. 2 weeks notice means the latest they could say they are opening is Feb 8th.

Yep this is it if it has to be two weeks

It would be absolutely bloody stupid to open schools after half term. Far too many infections still, despite the drop, and definitely far too many deaths and an overwhelmed NHS. When things start moving in the right direction, are we really going to risk this happening all over again?? Far better to learn the lessons of previous lockdowns, see this out properly and open schools after Easter, confident that vaccines are well under way and we are finally in control of all this.

I am quite happy for them to use the month vaccinating teachers and then reopen schools again. Most of the over 70s and vulnerable groups will be vaccinated by then, so we should see an improvement on hospital admissions.

If vaccination doses are 3 months apart just having the first dose will not be enough protection

Wtf is this two weeks notice shite about and said like they're doing us a favour. I'm totally confused.

If they open after Easter, we all know what will happen...ah well, nearly summer holidays, not worth it, send them back in September...

@formerbabe

If they open after Easter, we all know what will happen...ah well, nearly summer holidays, not worth it, send them back in September...

No don’t imagine it ; No off the hook stuff.

Some do want this on here

This report says rates are not decreasing and may be rising. Imperial college.

www.imperial.ac.uk/news/212953/coronavirus-infections-falling-england-latest-react/?fbclid=IwAR1Im3OOd1I9mTDU6moQFz0bslbhDLBgzA13tKwzLZicJJ_xGD0isDJbVAo

He said he hoped before Easter, it would be fantastic to be given a firm date in the next few weeks. Happy he emphasised again schools will be the first to reopen.

I don't think lockdown is going to work well for the new variants, with the vaccine rollout continuing apace (hopefully for teachers soon too) and as the winter pressure on hospitals reduces it's time to get children back in the classroom.

[quote ArseInTheCoOpWindow]This report says rates are not decreasing and may be rising. Imperial college.

www.imperial.ac.uk/news/212953/coronavirus-infections-falling-england-latest-react/?fbclid=IwAR1Im3OOd1I9mTDU6moQFz0bslbhDLBgzA13tKwzLZicJJ_xGD0isDJbVAo[/quote]
Worth reading graphs thread which shows why this is bad reporting

Why is it a choice between after half term or after Easter? Why can't they go back at some point inbetween?

Anyway I'm still bitter about last year. No reason kids couldn't have gone back in the summer term 2020.

I am quite happy for them to use the month vaccinating teachers and then reopen schools again. Most of the over 70s and vulnerable groups will be vaccinated by then, so we should see an improvement on hospital admissions

ICUs are (apparently, I haven't been in one myself just hearing from friends and family) filled with men in their 50s and 60s.

As a very vague guesstimate, I would suggest that more than half of teachers are under 40, with a bias towards women.

As a woman in my 30s with no Covid vulnerabilities, I would be so upset and angry if things got changed around to offer me a vaccine before my morbidly obese 65 year old Mum can get one. We have got to support all the vulnerable before the rest of us. The chances of it being anything more than a nasty inconvenience for youngish, healthy people are so low.

I'm sure they could formerbabe - but Easter is very early this year. I think it's only a 5 week half term. I bet they will decide it's one or the other with no point doing half way houses.

Hospitals in London are shipping covid patients to Newcastle. Firefighters and police are driving ambulances. Newcastle hospitals have now said no to accepting more out of area patients. The hospitals are not coping so schools won’t be opening.

@feelingquitehopeful

I am quite happy for them to use the month vaccinating teachers and then reopen schools again. Most of the over 70s and vulnerable groups will be vaccinated by then, so we should see an improvement on hospital admissions.

It takes 3 weeks after been vaccinated for the vaccine to work. It’s not going to have happen quickly.