In the last week, the number of people testing positive for Covid has dropped by 36 percent. A fall in cases following the final stage of unlocking was not what most models had predicted. There are several possible causes for this, including people adjusting their behaviour to avoid being pinged. But one significant factor is that schools in England are now out for summer.
When schools do return in September, cases will likely rise. But with an ever-greater percentage of the population vaccinated, this shouldn’t cause too many problems. And the end of classroom bubbles means that whole classes will no longer be sent home just because one pupil tests positive. Life will be far less disrupted.
A schools-related rise in cases would, though, draw attention to the UK’s decision not to vaccinate teenagers. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation has recommended that only those teenagers at increased risk of getting seriously ill from Covid-19 and those who live with an immune-suppressed person should be jabbed.
This is understandable given how few young people get seriously ill from the virus, but it makes the UK a bit of an outlier among developed nations.
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