For effs sake, given the hygeine habits of the average young elementary aged kid, parents should realize that coronavirus is just one of many worries.

3 people in the UK under the age of 19 have died from Coronavirus, out of 10 miilion. 22 other countries have opened schools in the world with no bad effects, the UK will soon be the only country in the world where the schools are still shut. Why aren't parents refusing to drive their kids to school on roads that are far more dangerous than the virus? 

Eveyone should go back to work/school ASAP before they totally screw up the economy IMO

When you refer hypothetically to death rates then the economical urgency becomes paramount, however, when it is your child rushed to hospital or when it is your father passing away it becomes eerily clear that there is no telling what could happen to any of us. In a way, we teachers are on the frontlines as well and I am seeing firsthand how the virus is being translated into deaths and students being rushed  to hospitals.

As a parent that would be the worst thing ever that could happen to you: your child fighting for his/her life because you thought it was safe to send them out to school so you could finally get some peace and quiet around the house... imagine that. Also, young kids are said to suffer from related illnesses. Time will tell. Luckily we are trailing 4 months behind you guys in Korea so we can use you as our guinea pigs.

My kid's been going to kindergarten throughout the whole thing and I've been quite willing to take the miniscule amount of risk involved on his behalf.  Like I said, you risk a lot more travelling anywhere by car.   

California State University has already said all of its classes are going to be held online with a few possible exceptions; of course a college student is quite different from a grade schooler, and the US’s (avoidable!) covid situation levels of magnitude worse than perhaps even the UK. Although the lil’uns are largely at a lower risk of severe complications from the virus (though not completely immune, as multisystem inflammatory syndrome is revealing), the big risk with kids is that they’re germ vectors, spreading it to others they have contact with. But I suppose that’s less of an issue now that granny at the nursing home can’t take visitors.

So BJ has grown some nuts

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/coronavirus-uk-lockdown-exit-strategy-stage-2-boris-johnson-a9530651.html

Cue the desperate search by the media and the unions for the first kiddie martyr.

Piers Morgan in about three weeks time: So minister what do you have to say to the parents of the 10 children who've been hospitalised so far?'

most likely didn't have a choice, after his announcement of cummings getting away with with flouting the lockdown (twice). people would have just started to ignore it anyway

Saudi Arabia made the call weeks ago suspended classes until the fall.

Brits won’t be alone.

Philippines beats that hands down. Duterte wants school closed till they find a vaccine.   Good luck with that.

Can we just accept that people f*cking die sometimes? I'm all for Korea-like measures, but at some point you gotta go about things and accept the fact that today might be the day with your name on it.

unpopular opinion but I have to agree. do people honestly and truly believe NO ONE , not ONE person will get sick again?

it's more the fact he doubled down and keeps lying about it. if he had just apologised, people would have been more sympathetic. i like pie's take on it

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDnGQemzf2s

Sorry, what has he lied about?

Didn't he admit to driving up to Durham to drop his kids off at his parents? Didn't he admit to making that decision based on the exceptional circumstances regarding children as written in the government advice?

Do you have a source for his 'lies'?

He has nothing to apologise for. Never apologise for something you have not done.