Dr Jenny Harries answereing questions in Downing Street
(Picture: PA)Children have been warned off hugging their grandparents until scientists are “absolutely sure” about the impact of the coronavirus vaccine rollout.
Dr Jenny Harries, deputy chief medical officer for England, also said the rise of the Kent variant of Covid-19 meant it was right to take “additional precautions” by extending the use of face coverings in schools.
She said a “steady course” needs to be taken through the road map out of lockdown.
“The testing programme in schools is clearly going to mean that people, parents, grandparents and teachers and other schoolchildren, can be very assured schools will be as safe as they can be because we are trying to remove infection from that environment,” Dr Harries told a Downing Street press briefing.
“And of course, that will have a really positive impact on breaking chains of transmission in communities and in those families.
“But the slight caveat to that is, having got so far down the line with this and now on the road map, very, very carefully coming out, I would encourage children not to go off yet, even if their grandparents have had their vaccinations.
“Not to go hugging them too much until we’re absolutely sure what the impact of that vaccine rollout has been.
“I’m sure it’s going to be positive but we just need to take a steady course through the road map.”
Her comments came as Gavin Williamson confirmed there will be “no algorithms whatsoever” to determine GCSE and A-Level exam results this year following the chaos of last summer.
Gavin Williamson said that “we are putting our trust firmly in teachers” to award grades, adding that there would be a “very clear, robust appeals process”.
Full details of how students will be graded will be announced on Thursday, Mr Williamson said.
Additional reporting by PA
