Britain’s Covid threat level is reduced from four to three

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Gavin Williamson tonight suggested class ‘bubbles’ will be doubled to 30 children to get all schools fully up and running in September.

The Education Secretary hinted at a doubling of the current group size as he underlined the government’s determination to have ‘every child back in every year group in every school’ after the summer holidays. 

He said the ‘bubbles’ would in future be expanded to ‘include the whole class’ – which would be around 30 pupils. But he refused to give more details, saying full guidance for schools will be published over the next fortnight.

‘There are still going to have to be protective measures put in place to make sure children are safe,’ he told the Downing Street briefing. 

Earlier, Boris Johnson solemnly promised that schools will return fully in September and hinted at an imminent shift on the two-metre rule – something that would delight business and Tory MPs. 

An ebullient PM hailed news that the coronavirus alert level has finally been reduced from four to three, meaning the Joint Biosecurity Centre has concluded there is no longer ‘high transmission’.

Asked on a visit to a primary in Hemel Hempstead whether the restriction will be eased, Mr Johnson said: ‘Watch this space.’ 

And in his most categorical statement yet, he said it was ‘absolutely’ his intention for all pupils to be back full-time by September.

Figures out today showed UK debt is now bigger than the whole economy for the first time in 57 years, as GDP plunges and millions of people face unemployment. But there was brighter news as retail sales rebounded from their April low.

Mr Johnson faced a backlash at the end of last month when he announced tweaks to lockdown, before it emerged that the alert had not been changed from level four – which according to the government’s own definition requires ‘current social distancing measures and restrictions’ to stay in place.

The move was approved by the chief medical officers for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.   

England’s chief medical officer, Chris Whitty, was rumoured to have stood in the way of the move, although there is also thought to have been resistance from his counterparts in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

In a joint statement today they said: ‘The Joint Biosecurity Centre has recommended that the COVID-19 alert level should move from Level 4 (A COVID-19 epidemic is in general circulation; transmission is high or rising exponentially) to Level 3 (A COVID-19 epidemic is in general circulation).

‘The CMOs for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have reviewed the evidence and agree with this recommendation to move to Level 3 across the UK.

‘There has been a steady decrease in cases we have seen in all four nations, and this continues. It does not mean that the pandemic is over. The virus is still in general circulation, and localised outbreaks are likely to occur.

‘We have made progress against the virus thanks to the efforts of the public and we need the public to continue to follow the guidelines carefully to ensure this progress continues.’ 

Speaking to Sky News during his visit today, Mr Johnson said ‘watch this space’ when asked whether social distancing restrictions could be cut to help schools return in September.

He said: ‘Of course, on the social distancing measures, as I’ve said, ”watch this space”.

‘We will be putting in further changes as the science allows.

‘I think that’s what the public also wants to see, they want to see us working with the reality.’

The premier said the UK was moving from a world where blanket restrictions were needed to ‘one where we are able to do more localised responses’. 

Mr Johnson said it was ‘absolutely’ his intention that children of all ages should be able to return to school by the autumn on a five-day-a-week basis.

‘Let me be very clear – I want a world in which, as far as possible, provided we can make classrooms safe and I think we can, I want every child, every pupil, every student, back in September.

‘I’m sure we can get it done.’

He added: ‘We have to start thinking of a world in which we are less apprehensive about this disease.

‘Yes it has been a horrible shock for the country and for the world, and I think the British people have worked incredibly hard to drive it down.

‘But we are starting to make some real progress with test and trace, with treatments for the disease, and I hope, as we go forward into the autumn, people will be much, much more confident.’ 

Mr Williamson said: ‘We’ve been creating bubbles of children in the classroom, creating a protective environment for those children.

‘Currently that is at 15, what we would be looking at doing is expanding those bubbles to include the whole class.’

He said signs the virus was reducing meant ministers could look at ‘making sure every child returns to school’.

Mr Williamson added: ‘We recognise there is still going to have to be protective measures put in place to make sure children are safe and make sure that teachers and all those who work in school are safe as well, and that is why we are going to be issuing further guidance in the next two weeks.’ 

Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), said schools and colleges were trying to prepare for September amid an ‘information black hole’ from the Government.

Speaking after Boris Johnson set out his aim to return all pupils back to the classroom for five days a week in autumn, Mr Barton said: ‘Everybody wants to see all children back in schools full-time from September.

‘In order for this to happen, the current Government guidelines would need to change because it would not be possible to do this while limiting class sizes to 15. You would need twice as many classrooms, and twice as many teachers.’

‘Schools and colleges are doing everything they can to prepare for September in what can only be described as an information black hole on the part of the Government,’ he added.

The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies last week confirmed the UK’s R rate was between 0.7 and 0.9 – although in some areas it might still be slightly higher. Anything below 1 means the prevalence of the virus is shrinking.

Mr Hancock said the lowering of the Covid-19 alert level was a ‘big moment’ for the UK, and showed the ‘Government’s plan is working’.

He said: ‘The UK moving to a lower alert level is a big moment for the country, and a real testament to the British people’s determination to beat this virus.

‘The Government’s plan is working. Infection rates are rapidly falling, we have protected the NHS and, thanks to the hard work of millions in our health and social care services, we are getting the country back on her feet.’  

However, the Government is still facing doubts over its contact tracing system – which will be essential to stop the virus flaring up again and plunging the country into another devastating lockdown.

Mr Hancock was yesterday forced into an embarrassing U-turn over the NHS tracing app, admitting it had not worked and will be abandoned.

Instead, the government will follow countries such as Germany and focus on the version built by tech giants Apple and Google. 

The NHS software, originally promised for mid-May, was unable to spot 25 per cent of nearby Android users and a staggering 96 per cent of iPhones in a trial on the Isle of Wight.

Meanwhile, the Apple and Google technology can spot 99 per cent of close contacts using any type of smartphone — but Mr Hancock said it cannot reliably tell how far away they are. 

At the Downing Street briefing last night the Cabinet minister appeared to point the finger at Apple, saying: ‘Our app won’t work because Apple won’t change their system’.

But an Apple source told The Times that it had not been informed of the announcement or consulted on the plan to work together. 

‘We don’t know what they mean by this hybrid model. They haven’t spoken to us about it,’ the source said. 

On the idea that its version was less accurate at measuring distance than the government’s NHSX model, the source said: ‘The app has been downloaded by six million in 24 hours in Germany, the Italians have had it going since Monday, the Dutch government and Irish government have it, and there has been no issue about proximity detection.’

MailOnline understands Apple was aware of the government’s concerns about the accuracy of the model, but the company pointed out that Germany has concluded it is ‘better than relying on people’s memories’. 

In a round of interviews this morning, schools minister Nick Gibb was unable to confirm whether a contract had been signed between the Government and Google and Apple to develop the contact-tracing app.

Asked if a deal to develop the app had been completed with the tech giants, the school standards minister told Sky News: ‘Well, that’s a matter for (Health Secretary Matt Hancock).

‘He’s working with Google and Apple, I don’t know the details of the contracts that they have.’

He added: ‘What I do know is that we are working with Google and Apple to iron out these problems with the system to make it robust and accurate in how it tracks and traces.’

The easing of lockdown measures in England at the beginning of June caused concern as the Covid-19 alert level remained at four – which the Government previously said would mean restrictions remaining in place. 

There was then confusion over whether the JBC was up and running, and what role it would play in setting the alert level. 

The Covid Alert Levels system was announced by Prime Minister Boris Johnson in his televised address to the nation on May 10. 

He said he was establishing the JBC to run the alert system, which is similar to that used to establish the terrorist threat. It has five tiers from level one to five based on the spread of Covid-19 through the country. 

At level five, transmission is high or rising and there is a risk healthcare services will be overwhelmed. Level one means coronavirus is no longer known to be in the UK. 

Level three is when the epidemic is in general circulation and gradual easing of restrictions can take place, while level two is when the number of cases and transmission is low and ‘no or minimal’ restrictions are required. 

Alongside Prof Whitty, Dr Gregor Smith for Scotland, Dr Chris Jones for Wales and Dr Michael McBride for Northern Ireland take the decision on lowering the level.

Mr Johnson will hope the reduction could counter some of the coronavirus fears that appear to be holding Britons back from heeding pleas to get back to shops and save the economy.

Research for MailOnline found eight in 10 people have yet to visit a non-essential shop since they were allowed to open on Monday.

And two-thirds of them said they had no intention of doing so this month, regardless of the appeals from the PM and Mr Sunak to help prop up businesses.

Meanwhile, the Redfield & Wilton Strategies survey identified strong support for the two-metre rule staying in force – despite warnings from the hospitality industry that millions of jobs could go unless the restrictions are eased.

Some 57 per cent said the social distancing limit should be enforced in pubs if they reopen as scheduled on July 4, compared to 29 per cent who want it loosened.