LONDON (Reuters) – The British government has decided to close all primary schools in London for the next two weeks to stem the rapid spread of a more infectious variant of the COVID-19 virus, the capital’s mayor said on Friday.
On Wednesday, education minister Gavin Williamson outlined a plan to delay the reopening of secondary schools, but will open most primary schools to children under 11 by the next week, at the end of the Christmas break.
Only in the hardest hit parts of the country, which included parts of the capital, but not others, were primary schools closed. But local authorities in several areas where schools should reopen have complained.
“The government finally understood and turned around,” London Mayor Sadiq Khan said on Twitter. “All primary schools in London will be treated equally.
“This is the right decision – and I want to thank Education Minister Nick Gibb for our constructive conversations over the past two days.”
(Reporting by Kate Holton; Editing by Peter Graff)