Council leader would back closing schools in Hull to stop coronavirus spreading
Hull City Council leader Stephen Brady has warned teachers and students are being put at risk
The leader of Hull City Council has said he would back closing schools if it would help bring down coronavirus rates in the city.
Transmission is estimated to be 770 in every 100,000 people- making Hull the worst affected area in the UK for Covid-19.
Now, Stephen Brady has asked to meet Government ministers in a bid to secure more "flexibility" over the rules around schools.
"If the infection rates are that high that schools are sending out all these warning signs, something has to be done" Mr. Brady said.
"We've got over 50% of our schools infected with the virus, we need to have some ability to take the correct steps and work out the way forward."
But not everyone is happy with the plans.
Nicola Robinson is a mum from Hull whos son has special education needs. She's worried shutting classrooms again could affect his mental health.
"For some children school is a lifeline, especially the SEN community," Nicola says. "The need for consistency is really important."
An important week for Hull
The stark figures coming out of the city show that Hull still has a long way to go to bring transmission rates down ahead of Christmas.
New figures from the Hull NHS Trust show 188 people are in hospital with Covid-19, and 14 are being treated in intensive care.
It's also been confirmed that a third hospital worker has died after testing positive for the virus.
Stephen Brady has written a personal letter to Boris Johnson with a series of requests for support for the city - stating it has received no contact from central Government about the current "health emergency''.
Mr Brady said the infection rate in the city has risen at an "astonishing and terrifying rate'' and the council said on Monday that the city's rate stood at 770 per 100,000.
A council spokeswoman said public health officials were warning that the peak in Hull- which has seen 286 coronavirus deaths- is yet to come.
Last week, Hull's director of public health described the situation as a "public health crises" and hospitals in the city delayed surgeries and outpatient appointments.