Schools across the Isle of Wight will not re-open following the February half-term, but could start to welcome students back from 8th March.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has laid out his current plan to look at beginning to re-open schools for face-to-face learning from the week commencing 8th March 2021.
The current timeline is subject to the 4 most vulnerable groups in society being vaccinated before 15th February. The vaccination programme is currently on track to achieve that.
13% of the adult UK population have now been vaccinated, including in excess of 80% of the Over 80s. 75% of older care home residents have also been protected.
Arrangements for free school meals will continue over the half-term and until children return to the classroom.
Looking forward, summer schools may be on the cards to help children catch up.
Bozo and his pals are very good at “confirming” with great fanfare something which is so nebulous as to be useless.
Yes, we know they “could”; the question is: “will they?”.
Answers on a postcard if you can afford the stamp to 10 Downing St where they are very keen to know the answer.
He shouldn’t give a date. He should give the criteria for opening and leave it at that. If a new variant arises and gets in to the UK (don’t forget they aren’t going to close the borders properly) and it evades the vaccines, we will be back in square one.
I agree. So what was the point of his “plan” except to make it look as thought he’s doing something?
to make tory rebels think he is doing something in an effort to prevent a leadership battle.
His incompetent handling of the virus has lead to 100,000 deaths, his incompetent handling of brexit has lead to a customs border down the Irish sea which he claimed would never happen, and to people being forced to pay extra for deliveries from Europe.
Bozo is realising he is now accountable for his regular lies, and even his own party wont be letting him off the hook.
You can only be incompetent when you have something to compare to otherwise you have nothing to base it on. the UK has never had Coronavirus before.
New Zealand and Australia haven’t either look at what they’ve done.
Newzelands population is five million, our population is eighty million, a little different don’t you think….
Doesn’t stop you controlling borders we’re all Island countries.
the UK population is around 68 million. get your facts straight.
Do you “Really” believe that…..the population was 65 million when I was a child in the sixty’s…
Since then we’ve had massive immigration and its now very hard for young people to get a home, you should not accept what the mainstream media or government tell you…
Stop trolling and go google UK Population.
The UK Population in the 1960s was around 50 million. It didnt hit 60million until around 2005.
It has very little to do with immigration and quite a lot to do with birth rate.
Stop blaming other people for your problems.
We do have something to compare it to. Look at the rest of the World! We are top of the league table for deaths per 100000. That includes the nations that did nothing!
the UK has had pandemics before.
Boris is incompetent by any definition of the word. He refuses to listen properly to scientific advice, has repeatedly lied about Brexit then tried to claim he has done well. We’re still waiting for this mythical £350 million a week for the NHS that he told us could be spent, not to mention locally the Island Deal that was clearly just a soundbyte to get Seeley elected.
Boris is the most disastrous prime minister this country has ever had, yet he still seems to get away with behaving in a way that would put any normal person in prison.
Recent Pandemics? The NHS are getting more than £350m a week at present so how do you know that it is not already being spent? The most disastrous Prime Minister ever you claim. Well you must have a very short memory then or no knowledge of previous PM’s or you just choose to spout anyway. What behaviour is illegal then to put in prison, just asking.
I know that £350 million that we sent to the EU each week is not being spent on anything as the actual figure was lower. Take into account the rebate and the fact that Boris inflated the figures, and the actual figure we sent to the EU each week was around £220 million. Go look it up. Try googling Boris Lies.
Boris has lied repeatedly and still seems to get away with it. People like you do ostrich impressions and ignore his abysmal record. Pull your head out the sand. Even his own party are starting to realise he is a liability.
Bloody lefties, shut up, we’ve had four years of your doom and gloom lies, give it a rest…
Pahahahahahaha.
We’ve had 10 years of Tory drivel. We are now in a situation where we have the highest death rate in Europe, millions are forced to use Food Banks, and Boris has been proven to have told lies by a court of law.
Ostrich impressions just mean that you get sand up your nose.
The virus killed the people not Boris.
and Boris didnt follow the scientific advice. He is responsible for those deaths, and has admitted such himself. Stop making excuses for an incompetent idiot.
Please see my previous message but just incase you didn’t see it…. You can only be incompetent when you have something to compare to otherwise you have nothing to base it on. the UK has never had Coronavirus before.
He will go down in history as the Prime minister who during a pandemic ignored the science which has led to us having the worst death toll in Europe. This government failed to make huge decisions concerning PPE, care homes, testing, locking down to late and keeping borders open. I would have more respect for him if he admitted he has made bad decisions, but he doesn’t think he’s done anything wrong.
Spot on Mandy. Maybe, just maybe, we can forgive him for his performance during the first wave, but there can be no excuses for what has happened since October. The summer should have been spent making plans so that the tragic loss of life that occurred earlier in the year could never be repeated.
the UK has had pandemics before.
incompetence doesnt need a comparison. It is obvious that Boris has not followed scientific advice that would have reduced the death rate. He is incompetent.
If a plumber did some work for you that you had never had done before and left a leak, the plumber would be incompetent. It wouldnt matter that you hadnt had a leak before, you would know incompetence existed when you told the plumber to repair the pipe and they didnt do it properly.
Your the idiot for believing your own drivel .
You sound an idiot for not understanding the meaning of words.
You’re. With an apostrophie.
Still, at least you made a comment with absolutely nothing to back it up and didn’t even bother to give your own opinion. Much more important to denigrate someone elses opinion than to try and engage in a discussion by giving your own views and backing them up.
Go away and get back under your bridge.
If you really want to point the finger, why don’t you start with the uk residents.
Nobody forced you to go out drinking, socialising and eating out.
I’m sick and tired of hearing the same old boring dribble about our government.
Seems to me the great british public put eating out in front of family and others safety.
Fact….22nd December, two restaurants on this island had just 20 bookings between them up to Christmas day.
23rd December the island was told it goes into tier 3 from boxing day and wow what a surprise both restaurants then became fully booked. That is fact.
And who told the island in advance that it “goes into tier 3 from boxing day”? Why that’ll be the government.
Your point being?
I do apologise, I assumed that you would understand. To elaborate, my point being is that the Government that you are so supportive of keep making mistakes. In the incident you detail, they actively encouraged socialising by giving advance warning of an upcoming restriction. Had they kept quiet until closer to the time, there would have been no mad rush to book every table available.
I to apologise, as I must of missed Matt Hancock saying ” I know it’s short notice but if you want to rush out now and book a table before christmas, then please feel free”
What a load of tripe Phil, nobody made the ignorant british public go out for drinks and meals, it was our own selfishness and need to have that last fix of a meal and drinks, nothing else.
The blame is on those who chose socialising over others health.
Like many they could and should have stayed home. They were never forced and look where we are now.
I totally agree that it is the actions of the public that spread the virus, but as you say many are ignorant, and that is why the government need to think before they act. If they provide a window of opportunity before a restriction applies, people will fill their boots while they can. You avoid this by providing zero notice, like when the original lockdown was announced, which effectively said “finish your pint, then go home”.
Itll be no safer for the children to be in school from the 8th March than it is now. Vaccinating the old and vulnerable has no effect for these children, their parents and the majority of teaching/school staff, untill these groups have been vaccinated schools will remain as a transmission hub for the virus.
Also worth noting that schools are open, just not for all children.
I am in the 70 plus group but i would be happy to be moved further down the list to make way for the people who work in schools be it teachers ,assistants cleaners ect .it makes no sense to send children back to school unless the staff have all been vaccinated. People of my age have most of our lives behind us .we should not take priority over the young be it children or young people trying to earn a living in these difficult times.
Since most people at risk have been vaccinated now or are soon to be vaccinated, why should the schools or anything else stay shut beyond February/March?
There have only been 643 deaths between ages 0-24 attributed to (not necessarily caused by) covid since the beginning of last year, less than the 1176 caused by pneumonia unrelated to covid. As for the risk to parents, there have been 5991 deaths attributed to covid between ages 35-44, very close to the 5872 caused by just standard pneumonia.
The only real concern is for teachers and other staff over the age of 55, the government should be prioritizing those people really and then schools would be able to reopen safely very soon, along with everything else.
Don’t forget that, according to Boris, schools are safe. They should be opening tomorrow.
Yes according to boris the schools are safe, safe for 30 or so kids to all sit a small room together whilst its not ok for a full parliament to attend the houses of parliament, they have plenty of social distancing on the go in there.
One rule for them with lots of space, another for schools with very little space.
according to Boris, schools are a massive vector of transmission.
Of course, that was only after numbers rose massively and the scientific advisors told him the death rate would be rising massively too if he didnt lock down properly.
Numbers started rising in September, dropped briefly in the 2 week lockdown, and then continued to rise massively through december. They only start dropping in January – after kids have been off for 2 weeks over christmas and sent home again after Boris once again made a last minute decision.
The viris doesnt affect kids massively, but kids going to school isnt the only thing happening. Kids are on busses, parents are dropping off kids and chatting at the school gates, kids with no symptoms are spreading the virus to other kids at school, who then all go home and interact with adults, spreading the virus further.
Only 643 under 24s have died! Only! Only 643 of todays young people leaving this world prematurely only is a bit insensitive. Only 100000+ uk people have died during this pandemic.
The use of the word only to describe the number if dead is frankly disgusting each and every one of those people who have died directly or indirectly as a result of this disease is a human being who has suffered a slow lonely death shut away from their loved ones. Have some repect, this government has none and should be protecting the entire population not just those it has decided are ‘vulnerable’.
Coronavirus doesnt only infect those the government has decided are ‘vulnerable’, it also dosnt only kill those who the government has decided are ‘vulnerable’ it infects whoever it can as fast as it can, age, gender, race it makes no difference to the virus who you are, it wants to kill you.
If you manage to survive theres the ongoing effects of long covid with no numbers of how many people are and will suffer and for how long for.
Keep the schools closed to save the lives of the young they are the future of this world if the human race survives this virus and its many emerging mutations.
HANDS FACE SPACE AND STAY HOME STAY SAFE
Bravo Chas. You get a standing ovation from me! Aloha, if one of my children die as a result of covid is it ok because its ONLY 1?
I say only because relatively speaking it is a very small number. Between the ages of 15-24 there have been 525 covid related deaths, but 34922 have died in total from other causes. There are bigger things for young people to worry about than covid.
You people just seem to want lockdown to continue until the virus is completely eradicated, it will never be, just like the flu it will stay and some unfortunate people will continue to die from it, vaccine or not.
That sounds like your saying yes it is ok. I’m not worried but I am being careful. I don’t worry about crossing the road but I do take precautions to make sure I dont drag my kids under a bus. If you want to go to work or to the pub then feel free but why should the first sector of society that’s forced to go back to normal be the kids? You seem to have all the numbers, how many schools across the island have been closed, even with the reduced number of students, because of covid? How many year groups have been sent home? We are well over 100k dead from this. That’s more than the UK has lost in EVERY conflict since the second world war and fast approaching the entire population of the island. And you say only.
Each one of the 100000 and counting uk covid related deaths are someones child every person alive on this planet is someones child, the scientists said today they expect the deaths to go up another 40/50k by the end of March. So by the end of March theyre saying the equivalent to the whole islands population will have died as a result of covid. An entire countys worth of people dead due to this virus.
Its not ‘us people’ who want lockdown to continue i dont want lockdown to continue id like the government to grow a pair make the right decisions hard as they may be at the right time, for the government and general public to listen to what the experts say and follow the rules and advice then hopefully drive the figures down for everyones benefit nationally then globally.
Vaccinating the old is good for them, but for everyone to be safe going back out as normal the whole worlds population needs a jab and to cross its fingers the mutations dont keep on rolling in and undermining the vaccination programs.
None of your kids would die from covid you idiot. The stupidity is through the roof. Unbelievable
Good argument there richard! How do you know this? I’m sure the parents of the kids that have died were told the same thing. I haven’t checked recently but last I heard was that coronavirus likes to turn into Kawasaki disease in young children and offers them an even more painful death than the adults. It doesn’t just kill the at risk groups. If my kids bring it back from school and give it to me will I survive? Will I suffer from long covid? Will I be able to go to work or care for my children? Will I show symptoms or will I just carry on as ‘normal’ spreading it around the community? How many people will I give it to who didn’t know they had underlying health issues? How many deaths in the community will be because my child went to school? But I suppose all of that will mean nothing to you unless an insult is added. A debate wont work with you will it? Just insults. Idiot.
🙂
Perhaps I am an ‘idiot’ but I would rather beleive what scientists with years of education and experience tell me than the random ravings of some bloke called Dick who lives in Ventnor and calls people idiots for trusting scientific evidence and data.
Obviously we should all beleive what he tells us because he knows better than all scientists worldwide and calls people who disagree with him ‘idiots’.
Pointless discussing anything with a cretin.
Bye Dick.
The vulnerable and elderly should all be shielding, everybody else should have priority for vaccine and get back to living.
China did it this way and its proven its worked.
Why give a vaccine to someone who stays indoors 7 days a week whilst we all spread it with no vaccine on the front line being key workers and children, this is an absolute mind blower
The black plague was a pandemic. A minor flu with a death rate of 0.001 and which has no effect on kids is not. Absolutely embarrassing and downright criminal. Government are scum. Open schools asap ffs
It’s not flu, the death is not 0.001; you are a liar.
So why did the government last march, move covid from Ebola type virus down to an influenza? Check that please if you think that’s lies!
You need to go back to school! The death rates of the appearances of the bubonic plague are covered in KS3. This disease killed millions indiscriminately across all age groups of the time tearing through communities similarly to covid is now resulting in many mass burial sites which are still being discovered.
Back to coronavirus, its only been in existent in the human population for just over a year no one knows what their natural auto immune response will be to exposure of it untill you know you have it, by which time you are ill and showing symptoms resulting in getting a test. For some people it is a mild cold/flu like week. But have you seen the news? All those people in hospitals all over the world slowly drowning in their own mucus shut away in isolation to hopefully not die on their own without a visit from their loved ones?
To send kids back to school to risk a single one of them to this lonely death is insane and purely heartless, all so they ‘keep up with learning’ is beyond belief. What difference would it make any of us adults if we finished school a year later than we did? A dead child will not finish school, grow up, get a job, have a life at all.
HANDS FACE SPACE STAY HOME STAY SAFE
What difference does it make to you if schools open? How many of your childrens lives are you happy to risk? Let me guess, you dont have children and I would like to suggest that your a member of the CONservative party. Idiot.
The death rate is 3%.
Or over 100,000 in the UK – the highest in Europe
Or 2.2 million worldwide.
Flu has its own death rate.
Stop spouting inaccuracies and go educate yourself.