UK shuts down schools, cancels exams in coronavirus lockdown

Schools in the UK will shut down from Friday until further notice and exams scheduled for May and June have been cancelled as the country goes into further lockdown to combat the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, with the death toll in the UK rising to 104 and confirmed cases hitting 2,626 on Wednesday.

"We think now that we must apply further downward pressure with that upward curve by closing the schools," said British Prime Minister Boris Johnson at his daily briefing from 10 Downing Street in London.

"This does mean that exams will not take place as planned in May and June but we will make sure that children do get the qualifications they need," he said.

And as London is being said to be the hotspot of the COVID-19 spread in the UK, Johnson did not rule out a London-specific lockdown at a later date to curb the outbreak.

"We've always said that we are going to do the right measures at the right time," he said, in reference to shutting out the UK capital from the rest of the country.

The UK PM said as health workers and other key workers such as police personnel and people who deliver food and essentials will have to continue to go to work, special provisions will be made for their children.

"For many parents this will be frustrating and it will make it harder for them to go out to work. That is why we are now working on further measures to ensure that we support not only businesses, but individuals and their families to keep the economy going," he said.

His announcement followed UK education secretary Gavin Williamson informing the House of Commons of the school closures in England.

The devolved governments of Scotland and Wales had already announced school closures from Friday.

"I can confirm that we will not go ahead with assessments or exams and that we will not be publishing performance tables for this academic year. We will work with the sector and Ofqual to ensure that children get the qualifications that they need," Williamson told Parliament.

The UK government says it also plans to more than double the number of coronavirus tests being carried out in England to 25,000 a day.

The latest set of measures enhances the level of semi-lockdown already in place in the UK, where everyone is advised to avoid non-essential contact with others.

"We believe that the steps we have already taken, together with those I am announcing today, are already slowing the spread of the disease. But we will not hesitate to go further and faster in the days and weeks ahead and we will do whatever it takes so that we beat it together," Johnson said.

Dr Jenny Harries, the UK's Deputy Chief Medical officer, said during the Downing Street briefing: "We have taken the measures that maximise the impact on health and safety while minimising the impact of how we live. It's not to do with the safety of children, but it is about a background level to reduce social contact."

Sir Patrick Vallance, the government's Chief Scientific Adviser, added: "It's important to stress and this is really critical it is not because schools are dangerous places for children. They are at the least risk. It's also not a dangerous place for teachers.

"The reason for this (school closures) is just because it can knock down further the transmission of this disease. To bring it down and protect those people who might get a much more serious version."