Number of children and young people testing positive for coronavirus rises in Hampshire

More than one in 10 people who tested positive for Covid-19 in Portsmouth last week was a child or young person aged up to 19 years old.

It comes after prime minister Boris Johnson announced on Monday that primary and secondary schools and colleges would close as part of a third lockdown for England in a bid to curb rising coronavirus cases.

According to the latest coronavirus data from the government, in Portsmouth there were 30 cases for those aged under 19 in total on December 29 – five of which were in children aged four and under – out of a total number of 281 positive cases.

On December 18, the last day of term for most schools, 17 children tested positive for Covid-19, which represented 15.7 per cent of the total 108 cases that week.

Portsmouth City council education boss Suzy Horton slammed the government's U-turn after schools reopened on Monday only to be closed yesterday until February half-term.

Cllr Horton said: ‘There needed to be a clear decision made based on infection levels, to prevent the confusion being experienced at a local level.

‘However what I do find ridiculous is the explanation of schools being a ‘vector for transmission’ just 12 hours after saying schools were safe.’

In Fareham, there were five cases reported in youngsters under 19 on December 18 with 19 positive cases a week later, eight of which were aged 15 to 19 years old.

Cases in Gosport and Havant increased from one to seven and 15 to 27, respectively. East Hampshire saw a slight decrease from 13 cases to 10.

The data overall shows an increase in the number of children under 19 testing positive but the cases representing a smaller percentage of total cases as rates increase in other age groups faster.

SEE ALSO: 'Alternative arrangements’ will be made for GCSE and A-level exams this year - what it means for students

School heads and political leaders were left cross at the late decision to close schools, which was announced at 8pm on Monday, the day after pupils returned.

Portsmouth City Council leader Gerald Vernon-Jackson told The News on Monday night: ‘The prime minister is telling parents to send children to school on Monday morning and then by Monday evening he is saying don’t go to school on Tuesday. We are just lurching from one chaos to another.’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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