The number of schools that have had to either send kids home or shut completely due to coronavirus cases has continued to rise this week.
At least 12 more schools have been hit this week, with every borough in the region affected.
It comes amid increasing alarm over the spread of coronavirus across the region, with the rates of cases per 100,000 people going above 200 in some areas.
In Liverpool, Mayor Joe Anderson warned today that the city was in an increasingly bleak situation, with large scale transmission of the virus now happening within all sections and ages within the community.
He confirmed that 5,000 children in Liverpool are now studying from home, with 300 teachers working from home. Thousands more across the other boroughs in our region are also affected.
Mayor Anderson said: "It is going to likely get worse over the next couple of weeks and I think we've got to accept that if kids are in school and people are mixing and out there going about their business then even with some of the restrictions in place it's likely for us to continue to see this level of infection rates in and around schools and in and around the community.
"It's a really worrying time for us."
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Here are the schools that are confirmed to have either closed or sent kids home this week, though the true number could be higher.
- Gayton Primary School, Wirral
- Redbridge High School, Fazakerley
- Heath Academy
- Maghull High School Maghull
- Deyes High School, Maghull
- Belvedere Academy, Liverpool
- Whiston Willis Primary Academy
- Stanley High School
- Somerville High School, Wallasey
- Tower College
- Archbishop Blanch School
- Gateacre School
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