NEU: Latest COVID infection survey shows huge surge amongst school and college students

More than 1 in 40 secondary pupils and 1 in 50 primary pupils tested positive. School age children had the highest rates of infection of any age group.

“The Office for National Statistics’ latest Coronavirus Infection Survey shows that infection amongst school age pupils are far higher than for any other age group.

“This is the result of the Government’s failure to take any steps to reduce infection in schools. This shows just how irresponsible it was for the Government to refuse to allow schools in areas of high prevalence of coronavirus to move to online teaching in the last week of term. We fear that many vulnerable people will be infected with coronavirus as a result this Christmas.

“Next term, the Government will need to match their rhetoric with resources and imagination to get coronavirus under control in schools and to break the chains of transmission in schools.”

Data: https://www.dropbox.com/s/h3mpd6nzn7ie93t/ons_infection_survey_by_age_20201218.xlsx?dl=0

Source: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/conditionsanddiseases/bulletins/coronaviruscovid19infectionsurveypilot/18december2020