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Closing primary schools my biggest regret from first COVID lockdown, Boris Johnson says

Prime Minister Boris Johnson during a visit to view the vaccination programme at Chase Farm Hospital in north London, part of the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust. The NHS is ramping up its vaccination programme with 530,000 doses of the newly approved Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine jab available for rollout across the UK.
Boris Johnson, visiting Chase Farm Hospital in north London on Monday, said he regrets having closed primary schools during the first lockdown. (PA)
  • Boris Johnson says closing primary schools his biggest regret from first COVID lockdown

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Boris Johnson has said he regrets having closed primary schools during the first national lockdown in March last year.

The prime minister said it was his “greatest misgiving” when looking back at his response to the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic.

On Monday, nearly 10 months after those school closures, Johnson was facing a third wave of COVID-19 infections with more than 75% of England facing the toughest Tier 4 restrictions.

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This time, however, the majority of primary schools have been told to remain open.

Watch: Boris Johnson says primary schools are safe (from Sunday)

Insisting schools are safe, Johnson said on Monday: “It’s very important to understand that back in March, one of the things I look back on with the greatest misgivings was the closure of primary schools because it’s so important for young people to get an education.

“That’s why closing primary schools is, for all of us, a last resort. That’s why we are looking at everything else we can possibly do to avoid that.

“I would stress schools are safe and the risk to kids is very, very small.”

All of London’s primary schools and those in some surrounding areas worst hit by COVID will not reopen until 18 January, with pupils elsewhere in England expected to return to class this week.

Education unions have warned bringing all pupils back to class could fuel the pandemic further and put teachers at “serious risk” of falling ill.

Johnson, however, rejected this, saying: “The risk to teachers is no greater than it is to anyone else.

“The reasons for wanting to keep schools open I think are very, very powerful.”

LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 04: A lock hangs on a primary school gate in Deptford on January 04, 2021 in London, England. Primary schools across London and southeast England will remain closed to most pupils until January 18th, and secondary schools in England will stagger their return in the coming weeks. On Sunday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson encouraged people to send their children to school if they are open. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)
A lock hangs on a closed primary school gate in Deptford, London, on Monday. (Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

One expert, Dr Zubaida Haque, had earlier pointed out there is no evidence teachers do not face a greater risk because there have been no studies assessing the impact of the new coronavirus variant, which is said to be up to 70% more transmissible.

The Independent Sage member tweeted:

Meanwhile, secondary schools and colleges in England will have a staggered return, with those taking exams this year resuming in-person teaching on 11 January and other year groups on 18 January.

Watch: Should I book a holiday in 2021?