Mohammad Yasin MP said,
"With news tonight that Government has been forced into another U-turn, announcing that all primary schools will remain closed in London, they must urgently confirm whether schools in other Tier 4 areas should be returning on Monday when infection rates continue to soar.
The new variant of Covid-19 is significantly more transmissible than the virus's previous version, with a Reproduction or R number of between by 0.4 and 0.7 and we are certainly seeing the effects of this on our area.
The Government is consistently behind the curve on decision making, increasingly ignoring or watering down the advice of their own scientists; only taking action when events force them to, leading to even higher infection rates, longer lockdowns, more pressure on hospitals and more unnecessary deaths.
To beat this virus, the Government must get ahead of the curve, and react quickly to the evidence before their eyes. The public need thoughtful leadership and planning, not panicked, last minute decisions which cause chaos and confusion.
I know many of you have written to me with concerns over schools returning. I will be calling for primary schools to join secondary schools in remaining closed in Bedford and Kempston. With our infection rate serious enough for us to be in Tier 4, school’s returning will increase infection rates when our hospital and community is least able to cope."