Coronavirus - 19th April 2022

Covid continuing to wreak havoc in UK schools and exams could still be disrupted, teachers warn

Claims come as teachers say they are “deeply frustrated” they do not have official data on how many pupils are absent due to the virus

Teachers warned it is “deeply troubling” that it is no longer possible to tell how many children are off school due to Covid.
According to figures released by the department for education, 10.9 percent of state school pupils were absent at the last count, on April 7.
On the same date 8.2 per cent of teachers and heads were also absent, and in almost one in five state schools, 15 per cent of teachers and heads were absent.

But the government has stopped collecting reasons for absence, meaning it is not possible to determine whether the high absence levels are due to Covid.

School leaders said they are “deeply frustrated” at the lack of clear data, and questioned how they will be able to respond quickly if cases start to rise.

Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT, said: “These changes are deeply troubling and ill-advised, and seem symptomatic of the government’s wider attempts to try to just pretend that the pandemic is over. The ‘living with covid plan’ is increasingly looking like an ‘ignoring covid plan’ when it comes to schools.”
He added: “The lack of up-to-date information raises serious questions about the government’s ability to respond quickly should cases start to rise or new variants emerge in the future.
“School leaders are seriously questioning the thinking behind this decision. An absence of information does not equate to an absence of covid.
“We continue to hear a sense of deep frustration from school leaders as they struggle to deal with the significant and on-going disruption caused by covid. Despite the government no longer collecting data, schools will still have to deal with the reality of higher than normal levels of staff and pupil absence. School leaders feel they have been abandoned.”
Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: “The evidence we have been hearing is that Covid-related absence among both staff and students was still a huge problem in a number of schools before Easter and that leaders have major concerns about ongoing disruption as we begin the summer term, with important exams for many pupils just a matter of a few weeks away.

“It is very clear that Covid is continuing to wreak havoc and it is hard for schools to operate under these conditions.”
He called for free Covid-testing to be reintroduced to help protect the first public exams in three years.

Today’s figures show absence rates have fallen slightly since March 31, the last time figures were released.

UK MPs to vote on whether Boris Johnson misled British parliament over partygate

MPs will get the chance to vote on whether Boris Johnson misled the UK parliament over his assurances Covid rules were followed in Downing Street, the house of commons speaker has announced.
Lindsay Hoyle said he had approved an application from Labour leader Keir Starmer and other opposition MPs allowing them to table a motion for debate on Thursday.


It comes after the Mr Johnson along with his wife Carrie and UK chancellor Rishi Sunak, were last week issued with fixed-penalty notices (FPN) by police investigating claims of coronavirus lockdown breaches in No 10.

Mr Johnson has apologised for his part in attending his own birthday bash, held in June 2020 in the cabinet room, and paid the fine despite telling the house of commons previously that all Covid guidance was followed at the heart of the UK government.

Mr Hoyle told MPs he had “no jurisdiction over the ministerial code” and whether it had been breached, but instead could “decide whether there is an arguable case to be examined”.

Having taken advice from clerks on the matter, the speaker said he had decided to allow Keir Starmer to table his motion.

Labour is understood to be wording the motion to make Thursday’s vote about whether to refer Mr Johnson to the Committee of Privileges.

The committee, it is understood, has the power to summon reports and documents.

It means that MPs could request to see the full version of senior civil servant Sue Gray’s inquiry into the Downing Street lockdown gatherings and any potential photographic evidence that exists.

Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey urged Conservative MPs to “do their patriotic duty” in Thursday’s vote.

The former cabinet minister said: “The country cannot afford a Prime Minister who breaks the law and lies about it, especially when families are facing a cost-of-living crisis.

“Johnson has taken the British people for fools for far too long, and it’s time for Conservative MPs to show where they stand.

“They must do their patriotic duty and kick Boris Johnson out of Downing Street once and for all.”

China's brutal Shanghai lockdown is worsening global supply chain crisis, retailers warn - as video shows bags full of cats 'ready for slaughter in the city after their owners caught Covid'

• Shanghai remains in lockdown as China pursues brutal 'zero-Covid' strategy 
  
• Shutdown has caused huge backlog of cargo ships, threatening supply chains 
  
• UK retailers warned today that will cause months-long delays and drive up costs  
  
• Meanwhile residents suffer, as video emerged showing cats crammed into sacks allegedly waiting to be culled because their owners caught Covid
  

China's brutal lockdown of Shanghai is worsening global supply chains as the city's port clogs up - threatening to cause delays and shortages while also driving up prices in Britain, retailers have warned.
The city - which is home to the world's largest container port - has now been in strict lockdown since late March, causing huge backlogs to build up with hundreds of cargo vessels stranded offshore.

Nick Glynne, CEO of the UK's Buy It Direct group, told the BBC today that this is exacerbating problems with supply chains that have not resolved since last year - affecting products as varied as barbecues and fridges. 

Meanwhile, the people of Shanghai continue to suffer with video appearing to show bags of cats left on the streets amid claims the animals are due to be culled because their owners tested positive for Covid.

China is continuing to pursue a strict 'zero-Covid' approach to the pandemic, even in the fact of the more-infectious Omicron variant, with experts warning the chaos and misery could continue for months.

BBVA, a Spanish financial services firm, has warned the disruption could last until June. Others predict it could take even longer for the outbreak to fall back to the level where Beijing will consider reopening the city.

The problems strict measures are causing are plain to see: Ship tracking data shows hundreds of vessels - most of them carrying cargo - loitering off the coast of Shanghai waiting to drop off or pick up shipments.

Data released by Bloomberg a week ago showed there were 477 cargo ships in the queue. That figure is likely to be higher now.

Mr Glynne said that is causing major problems for retailers who are facing months of delays to get their products shipped, extra costs in finding alternative routes, or a toxic combination of both.

'Pre-Covid, there was around a six month lead time. If we wanted to order a barbecue for the summer, we would order it by November, he said.

'Now, we're having to order barbecues this year for next summer. And it is impossible to do so... demand is all over the place.

'Our landed prices are also significantly higher than pre-Covid, which is to do with supply chain issues and also the exorbitant cost of shipping out of China and the far east at the moment.

He continued: 'If you look at a large American fridge-freezer, that we bring in over from China. Pre-Covid that cost £12 to ship, door to door, from a factory in northern China to the UK with a six-month lead time.

'Now we're looking at 12 to 14 months lead time and the price of freight alone has gone up to £80. So a £299 fridge has now got a £70 additional cost which has a knock-on effect to the consumer.'

The backlogs are being caused by multiple factors. As part of Shanghai's lockdown, the port is running at reduced capacity meaning it can process fewer ships.