The prime minister has refused to set any timeline for schools returning and has said ministers will tell schools and parents when they will reopen “as soon as we can”, the BBC reports.
Concerns for children’s education, and the plight of vulnerable youngsters prompted MPs to call on the government to offer a “route map” for reopening.
But Boris Johnson today said while he understood people’s need for a timetable, the infection rate was still too high to lift restrictions.
And confirming fears already held by some, Mr Johnson warned that he could not guarantee schools would open by the Easter holidays.
Mr Johnson said: “I understand why people want to get a timetable from me today, what I can tell you is we’ll tell you, tell parents, tell teachers as much as we can as soon as we can.”
Latest coronavirus data shows that the infection rate in the UK is down 22 per cent on last week but daily deaths continue to be extremely high.