Sir Jeremy Farrar, a member of the Government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies, has said the arguments for reopening schools in January were “very finely balanced”.
“I think the next few weeks going into January are going to be extremely difficult across the whole country,” Sir Jeremy, director of the Wellcome Trust, told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme.
“Certainly my own view is that schools opening is an absolute priority. But society – and eventually this is a political decision – will have to balance keeping schools open, if that is possible, with therefore closing down other parts of society.
“It is going be a trade-off between one or other. You cannot have everything. You cannot have the whole of society opening, and schools opening and further education and universities, and keep R below 1 with this variant.
“I think there are some very, very tough choices. We are going to see these continued pressures at least over the next two or three months.”
The Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has reportedly told allies he's facing an "enormous battle" to reopen schools in England after the Christmas break.
A crunch meeting will be held by the Government next week over whether allow schools to open again in January, reports the Mirror.
Mr Williamson is said to be keen to get schools back to normal but scientists are calling for a full lockdown as Covid cases continue to rise.
Experts have warned closing schools may be the only way to keep the new coronavirus strain under control.
Officials from Downing Street and the Department for Education are being held on Monday.
A source told the Sunday Telegraph : “Gavin is trying to keep them open, which is why he rolled out the testing stuff early.
“He’s facing an enormous battle. It’s the lockdowners (he’s fighting).”
