Published Saturday 6 June 2020 at 11:43
Blackburn with Darwen’s Director of Public Health has advised schools, pre-schools and nurseries in Blackburn with Darwen to delay their wider opening until at least 22 June in response to the regional rise in the Covid infection rate – known as the R rate.
After careful consideration, head teachers were advised on Friday evening to delay opening for all year groups for at least two further weeks.
Director of Public Health, Professor Dominic Harrison, said:
This revised guidance is a direct result of information released on Friday afternoon by Public Health England and central government which estimates the R value is now above the critical value of 1 for the North West at R = 1.01.
On the basis of scientific advice and taking into account government existing policy , I am concerned that the government’s own 5 tests are not now currently being met and that R rising above 1 presents a risk to the children and residents of the borough that cannot yet be adequately mitigated at this time by the national Test Trace and Isolate system.
In May, the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, announced 5 tests which set specific criteria that would have to be in place to allow a safe lifting of lockdown measures.
The PM said:
Our fifth and final test is that we must be confident that any adjustments to the current measures will not risk a second peak of infections that overwhelms the NHS.
It is vital that these tests are met before any changes are made, because we must not risk all the hard work and sacrifice of the British people.
This [lockdown lifting] package has been carefully designed so that we can ease the burdens of lockdown while expecting to keep that R below one.
I cannot and will not throw away all the gains we have made together, and so the changes we are making are limited and cautious.
The Public health England evidence suggests that the rise in the R rate “may result in the decline in the national death rate being arrested by mid-June”.
Prof. Harrison added:
Our local approach has been to be cautious, making safe and sensible decisions.
This delay will allow us to continue to review all of the evidence made available to us in the next two weeks and to seek to be more assured that the rate of infection is reducing and R is firmly below 1.
I will continue to monitor what is a fast-evolving situation very closely.
I am seeking further clarity from Public Health England and central government and will keep my advice to schools under constant review.
We fully appreciate that head teachers and their staff, in partnership with the Local Authority, have done excellent preparatory work undertaking and completing risk assessments in their schools and hope that parents understand that we are advising this measure in the best interests of public safety as the situation evolves.
All settings continue to remain open for vulnerable children and the children of key workers as they have been since the start of the national lockdown.
Councillor Julie Gunn, Blackburn with Darwen Council’s Executive Member for Children and Education, added:
Children and young people have been absolutely amazing in how they are dealing with the uncertainty that this pandemic has brought from the very beginning.
We know this may be a disappointment to children who are looking forward to going back to school, and to their parents who will need to explain this to them, but we want to say to children that we need to make sure that you and your teachers are happy and healthy when you are at school.
Schools will be contacting their parents with further specific information.