IMPORTANT UPDATE FOR SCHOOLS,
PRE-SCHOOLS AND NURSERIES:
Blackburn with Darwen’s Director of
Public Health has advised schools, pre-schools and nurseries 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 last night 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.”
He 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.”
Councillor Julie Gunn, the 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.”
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.
Schools will be contacting parents
directly with full updates
No comments:
Post a Comment