News

Covid cases in early years settings nearly double in a week

The number of incidents of reported cases of coronavirus almost doubled in one week in January, official statistics reveal.
The number of early years settings reporting incidents of coronavirus nearly doubled during the week of 11 January
The number of early years settings reporting incidents of coronavirus nearly doubled during the week of 11 January

The news has brought renewed calls from the sector for lateral flow tests to be sent directly to providers, and for early years workers to be prioritised for vaccinations.

Reports of cases to Ofsted rose from 1,267 for the week starting 4 January to 2,357 starting the week of the 11 January, according to data published by Ofsted.

A further 2,279 reports were received in the week beginning the 18 January.

Each report is a notification by a setting of an incidence of at least one positive Covid test in the nursery, pre-school or childminder setting.

No data is published on the number of individual cases among staff and children in a setting, meaning that the number of individual positive test cases among staff and/or children could potentially be much higher.

Register now to continue reading

Thank you for visiting Nursery World and making use of our archive of more than 35,000 expert features, subject guides, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:

What's included

  • Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month

  • Unlimited access to news and opinion

  • Email newsletter providing activity ideas, best practice and breaking news

Register

Already have an account? Sign in here