'Another lockdown for our schools is unthinkable, it just can’t happen'

Mar 22, 2021

Dear reader

Monday, March 22 will go down as one of the happiest recent days of this long lockdown in Northern Ireland.

It was wonderful to see truly joyous images from around the Province’s schools as pupils between P4-7 returned to the classroom for the first time since December, along with years 12-14 who returned in secondary schools.

The principal at one of the schools concerned, Diane Dawson at Braniel Primary in east Belfast, said she hopes that this is the last time schools had to be locked down.

Despite Northern Ireland, and indeed the United Kingdom as a whole, making real progress on vaccinations, Boris Johnson has warned that the country could yet be hit by the third wave of Covid-19 affecting Europe. Countries in mainland Europe have imposed fresh lockdowns as cases have risen in numerous cities in particular.

On the subject of vaccinations, Deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill has said she supports ramping up the vaccination programme here to become a 24x7 operation.

However, delays in sourcing deliveries of AstraZeneca ordered by the UK Government is set to delay the expansion of the programme to the over 40 age cohort.

Alistair Bushe
Editor

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