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British Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has told BBC Breakfast he was confident schools in England will be ready to test pupils returning to the classrooms from January 11.
He said: “There’s absolutely no reason that schools won’t be ready.”
We really want to hold their hands, support them, help them. We’re asking everyone right across the country to do pretty extraordinary things at the moment.
How much they (children) miss out by not being in schools, that’s why we’re taking these extraordinary actions because it’s always best to have children in school if it’s possible to do so.
New coronavirus infections in Tokyo hit a record high of more than 1,300 on Thursday raising fears of an explosion in cases, local media reported.
Japanese prime minister Yoshihide Suga has urged people to celebrate New Year quietly, and avoid non-essential outings, amid the twin crises.