BUBBLES BURST
Sajid Javid says school bubbles WILL end on July 19 in major boost for pupils and parents
SAJID Javid has said school bubbles will end on July 19, giving a major boost to pupils and parents.
Boris Johnson had previously suggested the change would not be made until September and a decision would be made later this week.
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However, both the PM and the Health Secretary, 51, confirmed the move on Monday.
Mr Javid told MPs: “On July 19 it is our plan to remove bubbles and to end the requirement for early years settings, schools and colleges to routinely carry out contact tracing”.
Mr Johnson told a press conference at No10 the policy would be ditched but did not give a firm date as to when this would happen.
He set out the Government’s intention to “remove bubbles and contact isolation for pupils” as fears have risen about the number of kids being forced to stay at home.
Just last week Mr Johnson indicated the shift away from “bubbles” would not be immediate as he said the summer holiday could work as a “natural firebreak”.
Mr Johnson said yesterday: “We are looking to move to a different regime for fully-vaccinated contacts of those testing positive and also for children.
“And tomorrow the Education Secretary will announce our plans to maintain key protections but remove bubbles and contact isolation for pupils.”
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Education Secretary Gavin Williamson is set to unveil the Government’s plans for protecting pupils today.
Backbench Tory MPs have called for the Government to drop school bubbles as soon as possible, even if that was “for the last few days of term”.
Mr Javid told the Commons on Monday: “The Education Secretary will be saying more later this week.
"But I can confirm to my honourable friend that on July 19 it is our plan to remove bubbles and to end the requirement for early years settings, schools and colleges to routinely carry out contact tracing and I will have more to say on how we intend to exempt under-18s who are close contacts from the requirement to self-isolate.”
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Many schools are due to break up just days after ‘Freedom Day’ – July 19 – marking the final stage in the lifting of Covid restrictions.
Should the decision be made to ditch the school bubbles immediately, teachers will have to adapt quickly to the new rulings for the last few days of term.
Under the current rules pupils have to self-isolate for 10 days if another pupil in their bubble tests positive for the Covid-19 virus.
In some cases this has meant that entire year groups have been sent home following an outbreak at a school.
Figures show that last week 375,000 pupils were self-isolating at home, a four-fold rise from two weeks ago.
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The school bubble system is expected to be replaced by daily testing.
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Mr Johnson said last week that he understood the frustrations of parents and teachers over the policy but urged them to be patient.
He said: “They haven't concluded yet so what I want to do is just to be cautious as we go forward to that natural firebreak of the summer holidays when the risk in schools will greatly diminish and just ask people to be a little bit patient.”
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