Sunderland Conservatives back June school reopenings 'with enhanced safety'
But Sunderland Tories have backed plans to restart lessons, while also calling for a tougher approach on social distancing measures intended to halt the spread of COVID-19.
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Hide AdAntony Mullen, chairman of Sunderland’s Conservative group, said his party supported reopening schools, but only ‘in situations where measures are taken to enhance the safety of pupils and staff members’.
He added: “We do so on the basis that the British Medical Association (BMA) has now dropped its opposition to schools re-opening, saying the risk to children is ‘extremely small’.
“In cases where parents are not comfortable with this, the government has removed penalties for parents who choose not to send their children to school.”
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Hide AdOfficial figures on the coronavirus outbreak have suggested the North East has the highest infection rate of any other part of the country.
A statement by the BMA on schools accepted some studies have shown COVID-19 poses an ‘extremely small’ risk to children, but also said there was no scientific consensus on the issue.
It added: “A focus on arbitrary dates for schools to reopen fully is polarising.”
Mullen, a city councillor since 2018, said if the council leadership refused to support schools reopening they must address gangs of ‘youths’ gathering at parks, beaches and shopping centres – an issue he accused Coun Miller of ignoring while ‘politicising the pandemic’.
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Hide AdHe has previously urged Wearside’s families to think of their grandparents’ risk of coronavirus infection before heading out over sunny weekends.