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The #CloseTheSchoolsNow hashtag is trending on Twitter as increasing numbers of parents and pupils are sharing their concerns about their family members going into schools and colleges across the UK.
It follows a Department of Health announcement that some 35 people in the UK have now died after testing positive for coronavirus – a rise of 14 overnight.
There are now 1,372 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the UK, and some 40,279 people have been tested for the deadly disease. Follow our live updates via our blog here
Danny Griffiths said: “This is just going to spread more if they don’t shut the schools, it’s gonna pass onto parents and grandparents who are at high risk. In a classroom kids are right by each other and it will spread like wild fire. @BorisJohnson Do the right thing #CloseTheSchoolsNow”
Many people are critical of the government’s suggestion that people should try to stay 1.5 metres away from each other, something they say is virtually impossible in a school environment.
Medea tweeted: “#CloseTheSchoolsNow my kids go to a school with over 1,000 kids. They will carry it onto vulnerable family members and ppl will needlessly die. My kids are already staying home but pls let the others stay home too.”
Ramsha_ixx added: “@BorisJohnson It is unsafe for us to not go on lockdown when there has already been many deaths & cases. Civilians are under risk of getting this virus. Are you going to wait til all of us have it? #CloseTheSchoolsNow”
Karrina tweeted: “Can all schools and universities close. It’s out of touch that all events with crowds of 500 people are being cancelled but yet I still have to go to uni in the CITY and use public transport which is covered in germs regardless of the amount of people. #CloseTheSchoolsNow”
In Wales, health authorities confirmed 34 new cases on Sunday, bringing the country’s total to 94.
The #CloseTheSchoolsNow campaign comes as the health secretary told Sky News that over 70s will need to isolate for up to four months.
He suggested that over-70s will need to remain at home and have groceries and vital medication delivered.
However, some people have said they are already struggling to get supermarket food delivery slots .
And there are also moves to give police powers to ‘arrest coronavirus patients NOT self-isolating’.
Tehreem added: “How is it actually possible to stay 1.5m away from each other when we have 1000+ students at school and we are all trying to get to the same place at once? Even our sixth form block is full with people, IT WON’T WORK #CloseTheSchoolsNow”
Bristol Royal Infirmary said one of the deaths was a patient there in his late-50s who had underlying health conditions.
