Hub schools won’t reopen this lockdown, the Education Minister has confirmed.

Dr Alex Allinson said infections rates remained too high, particularly among young people, for the hubs to open safely.

It is planned to reopen all schools after the Easter break but this may be done in a phased away if there continues to be large numbers of active cases, the Minister said.

He told the Manx Independent: ’Due to the ongoing level of community spread, especially among children and young people, it has not been possible to safely open a hub school before Easter.’

The current circuit breaker lockdown was announced on Monday, March 1.

All schools closed the following day but hub schools reopened for vulnerable children and those of key workers.

But in response to the increasing number of positive cases in the school community, all schools, nurseries, childminders and UCM were forced to close on Thursday March 4, as a fire-break approach to the outbreak.

Dr Allinson said Department of Education, Sport and Culture has been working on a plan for the opening of schools and the college.

It has also been looking at ways to ’alleviate childcare issues for some of our most essential workers who need to attend a place of work to keep our island safe and operational’, he said.

To alleviate the childcare pressures and enable people to return to work, recent changes in regulations have allowed family members, friends and registered childminders to look after the children of essential staff when they need to go into work and cannot do so from home.

Each household and each registered childminder will only be allowed to provide care for children from one other household.

It is proposed that schools should reopen on April 12 after the Easter holidays, as normal.

’The opening of schools will of course be dependent on the latest Public Health advice and infection rates reducing,’ said Dr Allinson.

’If nearer to the time of the planned reopening of schools the infection rates are still considered high, the department may open schools from April 12 on a phased approach basis for vulnerable children and those whose parents are essential workers and have to attend their workplace.

’This phased approach is currently being worked on and more details will be shared closer to the time, should it be needed.’

Dr Allinson said that in respect of secondary schools, the focus must be on those in years 11 and 13 who are due to begin assessments for their GCSE and A-level exams shortly.

The current Covid outbreak has seen a significant number of cases in children, with the highest number of active cases among those aged 10 to 14.

Thankfully, numbers have started to fall away.