Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the potential risk to key workers employed in early years childcare settings continuing to work during the January 2021 covid-19 lockdown where they have clinical extremely vulnerable family members at home.

Keeping staff and children safe is our utmost priority and early years settings remain low risk environments for children and staff.

Current evidence suggests that pre-school children (0 to 5 years) are less susceptible to infection and are unlikely to be playing a driving role in transmission. There is no evidence that the predominant new variant of COVID-19 disproportionately affects young children. The current confirmed case rate of COVID-19 amongst young children remains the lowest of all age groups.

Early years settings remain low risk environments for children and staff. Current evidence suggests that the Public Health England (PHE) endorsed ‘system of controls’ that have been in use throughout the COVID-19 outbreak continue to be right measures to take. PHE keeps these controls under review based on the latest evidence. These measures create an environment for children and staff where the risk of transmission is substantially reduced.

Early years practitioners who live with those who are clinically vulnerable or clinically extremely vulnerable, can attend the setting but should ensure they maintain good prevention practice in the setting and at home.