Is it time to end Covid isolation for schoolchildren?

One in 20 state school pupils miss classes on a single day as result of coronavirus policy

School children in masks
Pupils gather in a playground on their first day back after lockdown in March
(Image credit: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

The government is drawing up plans to end automatic self-isolation for school pupils who come into contact with a positive Covid-19 case, according to reports.

Newly appointed Health Secretary Sajid Javid told the House of Commons yesterday that he had asked for “fresh advice” on the rule, as figures out today showed that 375,000 state school children in England missed classes as a direct result of the coronavirus on 24 June. This was the highest rate since schools reopened in March, equating to one in 20 children across the country.

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