Rate of Covid in Wakefield's children 'remains steady' amid debate around school reopening

Anna Hartley, Wakefield's director of public health, said she was hoping to reassure residents as thousands of pupils across the district return to the classroom following the Christmas holiday.

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It comes amid a row about whether or not it is safe for children to return to school, with teaching unions and some other local authorities raising concerns about the potential risks of reopening schools amid rising Covid rates.

Primary schools remain closed in some areas of London and the South East, where high rates of a new strain of the virus have been recorded.

But Ms Hartley said there had been no increase in cases among school-aged children in the district.

In a Tweet, she said: "Just to reassure we are not seeing an increase in numbers of cases in children aged 0-14 in Wakefield. They remain steady at around 100/100k.

"In November at the height of the second peak they were about 230/100k."

According to the latest figures from Public Health England, which cover the period up to Tuesday, December 29, the rate of cases for children aged up to four is 47.4 per 100,000.

For children aged five to nine, this rises to 73.6 per 100,000, and the rate for children aged 10-14 is 124.2 per 100,000.

Across all ages, the rate of cases in the Wakefield district is 256 per 100,000, with the highest rate of cases recorded among people in their late 30s and early 40s.

But while the rate of cases remains below the national average, it is still much higher than it was at the start of December.

The district remains in Tier 3 restrictions, with strict rules on socialising, eating out and more, following a review of local rates last week.

But Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said a new national lockdown cannot be ruled out.