ALL schools in the UK will close on Friday, the Government has revealed.
Schools in England and Wales will close until further notice except for looking after the children of keyworkers and vulnerable children.
Exams will not take place in May or June.
Speaking in Parliament, Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said the action was aimed at slowing down the spreading of COVID-19.
He said plans will be put in place for children of NHS staff, police officers and delivery drivers to ensure they can continue working during this national crisis.
The shutdown also covers nurseries, private schools and colleges.
Provision is being made for children who receive school meals to ensure they are properly fed while they are not at school.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson thanked the teachers and headteachers for their work and said by helping look after the children of key workers they would be helping in the fight against coronavirus.
And he said children should not be left with grandparents and older people in high risk groups when it came to COVID-19.
Mr Johnson told the nation this evening that the spread was ‘slowing’ – but he would go ‘further and faster’ if he needed to in the coming days.
He said a lot of people were making a ‘real heroic effort to comply with the measures we have taken’ but urged everyone to take all rules incredibly seriously.
But the PM refused to rule out locking down the whole of London – or even restricting people’s movement.
“We rule nothing out.”
