Coronavirus: Schools targeted in 'traffic light' plan to lift lockdown measures

Schools could be reopened within weeks under plans drawn up by the government to gradually lift the coronavirus lockdown restrictions.

The so-called “traffic light” scheme would see pupils of different age groups taught for only part of the week or every other week, according to The Sunday Times.

Primary school children and years 10 and 12 who are due to sit GCSEs and A-levels this year will reportedly the first to go back.

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson, however, tweeted on Sunday morning that "no decision has been made on when we will reopen schools".

"I can reassure schools and parents that they will only reopen when the scientific advice indicates it is the right time to do so," he added.

Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster also told BBC News on Sunday that there were no current plans to reopen schools in the coming weeks.

“There’s some countries which are relaxing some aspects of the overall restraints. And they are confident they can do so without prejudice to the overall health of their populations.

“We are looking at what those countries are doing and we are looking at our own data and evidence.

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“But one of the things that we will not do is relax any of the current restrictions before we’re confident before we have a scientific picture that allows us to make the right decisions.”

The “green” stage of the government’s traffic light scheme would reportedly see non-essential shops such as clothes stores and garden centres to reopen.

Full bus and rail services would resume and elective surgery in the NHS would restart but social distancing measures would remain in place.

Under the “amber” phase, more shops and businesses reopen would be allowed to reopen and all employees would be urged to return to work.

However, pubs, restaurants and large gatherings of people may not be allowed to resume until July or later in the summer.

At the Saturday evening press briefing, Local Government Secretary Robert Jenrick said there are "a number of positive indicators which give us cause for hope, and to believe that there is light at the end of the tunnel".

But he added: "Don't lose what's been hard won over the last few weeks.

"Keep adhering to the measures, keep respecting the advice from the clinicians, and if we do that together as a society, then in the weeks to come there may be opportunities to begin very cautiously to ease the lockdown measures.

"But that day is not today, as the First Secretary said, just a few days ago."

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