COVID-19: Plan to test schoolchildren in hotspot areas of Kent, Essex and London and GPs to give vaccine from next week

Mass testing will be rolled out for secondary school children in coronavirus hotspots across London, Essex and Kent, the health secretary has announced.

Matt Hancock said he was “concerned” the number of COVID-19 cases in those places was “rising and in many areas already high”, adding that “by far the fastest rise” is among 11 to 18-years-olds.

While infection rates in adults living there are “broadly flat”, he said “we know from experience” that a sharp rise in cases among young people “can lead to” the virus spreading into the elderly and vulnerable population.

“We must not wait until the review” next Wednesday when the tier restrictions system is looked at again, Mr Hancock said.

“We need to take targeted action immediately.”

There are fears London could be placed in the highest Tier 3 restrictions in the run up to Christmas, something which the city’s mayor Sadiq Khan said would be “catastrophic” for hospitality.

Mr Hancock explained mass testing will be available to all secondary school-age children in the seven worst-affected boroughs in the capital, as well as parts of Essex that border London and areas of Kent.

He did not specify the London boroughs or the areas of Essex and Kent where the mass testing would be rolled out.

But, according to London Assembly statistics for the week ending 5 December, the seven boroughs with the highest COVID-19 cases per 100,000 population were:

• Havering – 380
• Waltham Forest – 322
• Barking and Dagenham – 315
• Redbridge – 300
• Newham – 266
• Bexley – 261
• Tower Hamlets – 242

“We want to keep schools open, because that’s both right for education and public health,” the health secretary added.

“I want to urge all those involved to step forward for the testing. It’s important that 11 to 18-year-olds get tested in these boroughs.”

The government’s decision to keep England’s schools fully open in the final week of term has been questioned by education unions following a rise in infection rates among children in secondaries.

Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: “We have to question why the plan is to mass test children and there is apparently no consideration of moving to remote learning for the last week of term.

“The number of infections in these areas is very similar to the situation in parts of Wales, where the government there has decided to move to remote learning in secondary schools and colleges from Monday.”

Mr Khan welcomed COVID-19 testing for London schools, saying he had repeatedly asked for such a move.

He said: “We have seen before how the virus moves from younger age groups to older groups and with the change in restrictions for Christmas approaching, it is vitally important that we are able to identify who has the virus so they can self-isolate.

“Nobody wants the capital to face Tier 3 restrictions, but with cases rising we face a tipping point. That’s why it’s important that the government is providing this much-needed testing support and it is essential that Londoners continue to follow the rules to reduce the spread of the virus.”

Mr Hancock also revealed that the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine is being administered in 73 hospitals.

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The jab will be available in some GPs’ surgeries from next week and in care homes before Christmas, he promised.

It comes after another 20,964 coronavirus cases were recorded on Thursday – a rise of 4,386 compared with Wednesday’s figure.

It is the highest daily increase since mid-November – and brings the total number of infections during the pandemic to 1,787,783.

Another 516 coronavirus-related deaths were also reported in the latest 24-hour period – a slight fall of 17 compared with the previous day.

ANALYSIS: ‘Don’t blow it’
By Rob Powell, political correspondent

A simple wake up call from the health secretary in a week where Brexit and the vaccination rollout has shifted attention from the actual virus.

Cases appear to be rising again, with a focus now on London and parts of the South East. Mass testing for teenagers will be the immediate response.

An eventual move to Tier 3 now also seems inevitable.

That will be a blow for bars and restaurants keen to cash in on pre-Christmas trade.

But combine the increasing case rate with the Christmas amnesty on restrictions, and you have a potentially catastrophic cocktail.

The risk is that Londoners travelling out of the capital for the festive reprieve take the virus with them, exporting it around the country.

Or as the Chief Medical Officer, Professor Chris Whitty, said: “If people go too far in the Christmas period, then it’s going to be a period of risk everywhere.”

Put that alongside the seasonal nature of coronaviruses, the usual NHS winter pressures and a possible no-deal Brexit, and January starts to look increasingly daunting.

Our gaze may have shifted from COVID-19 this week.

It still has its sights set firmly on us.

(c) Sky News 2020: COVID-19: Plan to test schoolchildren in hotspot areas of Kent, Essex and London and GPs to give vaccine from next week