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EXCLUSIVE: Ofsted data shows early years settings with Covid cases doubling every week

Policy & Politics Provision Coronavirus
Cases of Covid-19 in early years settings have been doubling every week on average since the first week of September, Nursery World can reveal, as early years settings continue to struggle to access tests, despite being classed as essential workers with priority access to testing.
Early years providers are struggling to access Covid tests, despite the Government saying they should have priority access to tests
Early years providers are struggling to access Covid tests, despite the Government saying they should have priority access to tests

Data obtained by Labour, and shared with Nursery World, shows that in a month the number of settings with one or more confirmed weekly cases of coronavirus rose from 14 on 31 August to 181 on 28 September.

Number of registered early years and childcare providers reporting one or more confirmed cases of COVID-19 by week, starting 1 June 2020.

 

31/08/2020

14

07/09/2020

34

14/09/2020

87

21/09/2020

170

28/09/2020

181

 

Source: Ofsted

 

The figures were obtained by shadow early years and children’s minister Tulip Siddiq, who asked the education secretary in a parliamentary question about the number of Covid-19 outbreaks that had been reported in early years settings since 1 June.

The question was then referred to Ofsted for chief inspector Amanda Spielman to respond.

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