UK health minister defends reopening of schools in some areas

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's health minister defended the decision for schools to reopen in some areas despite the country's high coronavirus infection rate, saying that the government was following public health advice and that schools in those areas were safe.

"It's also clear that the proportion of teachers who catch coronavirus is no higher than the rest of the population," Matt Hancock told Sky News on Monday.

(Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge and Sarah Young, editing by Estelle Shirbon)