Despite a drop in the UK’s daily case count, a senior minister has said the government has fresh concerns about the Omicron variant of Covid as it begins to spread in those aged 50 and above.
“They’re the ones who, if you recall in the earlier waves, ended up in hospital with severe infection and hospitalisation and sadly death rates went up,” Nadhim Zahawi told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, adding it was “good news” that 90 per cent of the age group had received a booster jab.
The education secretary also said this morning it was his “top priority” to ensure schools stayed open during the current wave of infections, having witnessed the “painful lesson” closing sites taught leaders last year at the height of the pandemic.
To curb the spread of Omicron in the classroom, students returning to secondary schools in England this week will be tested on site at least once and will then be urged to do so at home twice-weekly for the foreseeable future. They will also be asked to wear face masks at all times.
