James Sunderland criticises school covid policy that if a single child tests positive for coronavirus, the entire class is sent home and forced to isolate for 10 days, as risk aversion gone mad and calls for our children to be allowed to get back to normal.
James Sunderland (Bracknell) (Con)
Current covid policy dictates that if a single child tests positive for coronavirus at school, the entire class is sent home and forced to isolate for 10 days. Does my right hon. Friend agree that that is risk aversion gone mad and that we owe it to our children to get back to normal? Will he please raise this as a matter of urgency with No. 10 and the Department of Health and Social Care?
Mr Rees-Mogg (Leader of the House of Commons)
I am grateful to my hon. Friend, because he was kind enough to warn me of his question and therefore I have had the opportunity to find out what the precise policy is and put it on the record. While in some cases a whole class might be required to isolate, we know that many settings are using seating plans and other means to identify close contacts and minimise the number of individuals who need to isolate, so it is not an absolute rule, but a matter of judgment. I hope people will use their judgment wisely.