TWO Cheshire West and Chester political parties have shown support for headteachers who wish to close their school buildings to pupils and staff due to the coronavirus crisis.

Cheshire West and Chester Council's Labour group is urging the Government to provide the council with local powers on decisions whether schools can remain open, amid concerns over rising Covid infection rates.

Going one step further, the Cheshire West and Chester Green Party is calling for all schools in the borough to switch to online/blended learning now.

The Government has closed schools in London and the south east, where infection rates have soared in some areas to more than 1,000 per 100,000 people – meaning more than one per cent of that area's population tested positive for Covid-19 in one week alone.

But, while the current Cheshire West infection rate is 395.1, considerably lower than that in the south east, it has risen rapidly over the past three weeks and is forecast to rise further still.

In a statement, the Cheshire West Labour group said it would back parents who didn't want to send pupils to schools amid coronavirus concerns.

It said: "Cheshire West and Chester Council Labour Group is standing shoulder to shoulder with parents, staff and headteachers. We support parents who want to keep children at home, school staff who cannot safely go to work and headteachers who decide to close their schools.

"As we have throughout the pandemic, the Council will work with primary and secondary schools to keep children, their families and school staff safe. We will support schools in providing remote learning and ensure they can remain open for the children of key workers and vulnerable children no matter what.

"If the Covid-19 variant spreads rapidly in west Cheshire as it has done in the south east the Government will have to move our schools to remote learning.

"We recognise classroom education is vital to the life chances of children but our schools cannot safely remain open to all children if transmission escalates in the weeks ahead.

"This evidence-led approach is supported by the local National Education Union branch.

"Cllr Louise Gittins, leader of Cheshire West and Chester Council, is writing to the Secretary of State for Education, Gavin Williamson, to ask for the council to have powers to make local decisions on whether schools should remain open.

"The focus of this council continues to be protecting children, families and school staff and we stand ready to make tough decisions if the Government will not."

The Cheshire West and Chester Green Party said: "The Conservative Government has shown a blatant disregard for the safety of school staff and pupils through this pandemic.

"Schools have been open from the start of lockdown one and through most holidays, supporting vulnerable children and those of key workers whilst teaching in multiple formats.

"Teachers are forced to mix with hundreds of pupils with no social distancing, given no PPE, not able to be furloughed or work from home. Teachers are not only teaching but supporting the mental health of pupils during this crisis.

"As the new strain of the virus spreads now is the time to support our vital school staff and demand that all schools move to online/blended learning and the Government shares the scientific data on which their decisions are based.

"We urge Cheshire West and Chester Council, Chris Matheson MP, Justin Madders MP, Mike Amesbury MP and Edward Timpson MP to support the school staff and unions in their fight to #MakeSchoolsSafe."

Speaking to the PA during a visit to Chase Farm Hospital in north London to meet some of the first people to receive the Oxford vaccine on Monday, Mr Johnson said there were “tough tough” weeks to come.

He added: “If you look at the numbers there’s no question we will have to take tougher measures and we will be announcing those in due course.”

Despite his warning of tougher restrictions he insisted schools were safe, and added: “It’s very important to understand that back in March, one of the things I look back on with the greatest misgivings was the closure of primary schools because it’s so important for young people to get an education.

“That’s why closing primary schools is, for all of us, a last resort. That’s why we are looking at everything else we can possibly do to avoid that.

“I would stress schools are safe and the risk to kids is very, very small.”

The Prime Minister said the risk to teachers was no greater than to anyone else and the argument for keeping schools open was very powerful.

He added: “The risk to teachers, and of course we will do everything we can to protect teachers, but the risk to teachers is no greater than it is to anyone else.

“The reasons for wanting to keep schools open I think are very, very powerful.”