Covid-19 cases in nurseries hit record high
Fiona Simpson
Tuesday, December 14, 2021
Cases of Covid-19 in nurseries soared 38 per cent in a week, according to latest Ofsted figures.
The number of early years and childcare settings reporting positive cases of the virus increased from 1,960 on 15 November to 2,707 on 22 November.
The data for 22 November represents the largest number of reports since Ofsted began publishing the figures on 1 June 2020.
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Early years leaders have raised concerns over the impact of the increase on providers, calling for tighter restrictions for children living with someone who has tested positive and increased financial support for settings.
Currently children living with someone who has tested positive do not have to isolate unless they test positive.
Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Early Years Alliance, said: “Early years educators have put themselves at risk throughout the pandemic to ensure young children get the care and education they need, and that parents can continue to go out to work.
"With early years settings clearly at risk, the government must now, as a priority, look to put in place additional measures to protect early years staff and their families, including reviewing the rules that allow young children living with someone who is Covid-positive to continue attending their early years setting, regardless of which variant they happen to have.
"With Covid rates unlikely to fall for some time now, it is also vital that early years providers get the financial support they need to ensure they can remain afloat during what is likely to be an incredibly difficult period.”
Jonathan Broadbery, director of policy and communication at the National Day Nurseries Association, said: “It is clear that the early years sector is still being badly affected by the pandemic. Closures and absences don’t just mean disruption for children and families but also lost income for providers.
“The government must continue to support our vital early years sector to help them remain sustainable at a time when they are so important in supporting children, families and the economy.”
Elsewhere, education unions are calling for increased restrictions in schools to stop the spread of the Omicron variant of the virus.
Dr Patrick Roach, general secretary of the NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union, said: “Given the Prime Minister’s acknowledgement that the Omicron variant may be significantly more transmissible, it would be appropriate to extend further control measures in schools and colleges.
“Further measures including extending the use of face coverings in classrooms, an immediate and extended programme of onsite Covid testing of pupils, and robust rules and support for close contacts to self-isolate would have a significant impact on helping to break the chain of Covid transmission and minimise further disruption to pupils’ education.”
Kevin Courtney, joint general secretary of the National Education Union, backed calls for tightened restrictions in schools, citing Department for Education figures which show that more than 200,000 pupils were absent for Covid-related reasons on 25 November.
“Since then infection rates among school-age children have risen further,” he said.
“It is clear that current mitigations are not enough to keep at bay rising case counts, especially in the new context of the fast-spreading Omicron variant.”