Boris Johnson 'must bow to the inevitable and declare new national lockdown'

Three-quarters of England are now living under the highest tier of restrictions, with residents having to stay at home with limited exceptions. Yorkshire is in “very high alert” tier 3.

Boris Johnson hinted on Sunday that the restrictions are “probably about to get tougher” due to rising infection rates.

However despite calls from teaching unions to close all schools for the next two weeks, he insisted classrooms are safe and that the risk to young people was “very, very small”.

Council leaders in Yorkshire said they were following Government advice and primary schools would reopen.

The Prime Minister told the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show: “Schools are safe. It is very, very important to stress that.

“I would advise all parents thinking about want to do, look at where your area is, overwhelmingly you’ll be in a part of the country where primary schools tomorrow will be open.”

Mr Johnson signalled that despite the ramping up of the immunisation programme with the first Oxford University and AstraZeneca jabs being given today, restrictions in England were likely “alas, probably about to get tougher to keep things under control”.

But Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer urged the PM not to delay, saying: “We can’t allow the Prime Minister to use up the next two or three weeks and then bring in a national lockdown which is inevitable.

“Do it now. That’s the necessary first step to get the virus back under control.”

In North Yorkshire which jumped from tier 2 to tier 3 last week, primary schools will be open from Monday or Tuesday for those with inset days.

However, the start of the school term for secondary and college students has been staggered, in line with Government advice.

Leader of North Yorkshire County Council Coun Carl Les said: “The Government assures us that they have done the risk assessment, so if their advice is that children should go to school we will follow that advice.

“If I was a primary school child’s parent - which I am no longer - I would be sending my children to school.”

Barnsley Council leader Sir Steve Houghton said: “It’s up to each parent to make their own decision but we will continue to follow Government guidance and in tier 3 it’s that it’s still safe for schools to reopen. We will do everything we can to make sure that’s the case.”

Sheffield South East MP Clive Betts said the PM had to “make a decision”, and the “uncertainty and the change of position and the U-turns and the belief that the next U-turn is round the corner” made it impossible for schools and parents to plan.

He said if schools did have to close for any length of time the Government had to do much more to ensure children from deprived backgrounds can do their schoolwork online.