Plans to reopen primary schools in England need to be halted due to a lack of adequate safety measures, say teachers' unions
Teachers are already a priority for testing for coronavirus, but Mr Williamson said that pupils would also be a priority for testing if they or their families showed symptoms.
In a collective response, teachers' unions have rejected the plans for a phased return of primary school pupils after half term - saying it was still too early to be safe. "Uniquely, it appears, school staff will not be protected by social distancing rules," said the statement, which called for a new taskforce, including teachers' unions, to plan the return to school.
But Mr Williamson told MPs that opening schools was the"responsible" course of action, now the virus was"past the peak" and that safety was uppermost in how it was being planned.
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