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And she acknowledged cases could spike – but said schools shouldn't close again.<\/p>\n
"We will watch and wait and look carefully," she told the BBC's Andrew Marr.<\/p>\n
"That's why we're doing so much testing.<\/p>\n
"It's to try and find those cases that may have asymptomatic infections, and so reduce the risk of transmissions in and around the school environment and keep the R rate at the lowest rate possible."<\/p>\n
Mr Marr asked: "If it does go above one, at that point do you think we should pause children going back to school?"<\/p>\n
But Dr Hopkins replied: "I don't think we should pause.<\/p>\n
"There are three weeks before the Easter holiday.<\/p>\n
"I think we will have time to look at the data carefully over that period, and then the data in the Easter holidays, to see how things are responding."<\/p>\n
It comes as:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n This week, it was revealed the R has crept back up again – and may even be as high as 1 in some areas.<\/p>\n The figure is between 0.7 and 0.9 across the UK, Sage scientists say.<\/p>\n When the number is below 1, it means transmission is low enough for the epidemic to shrink – but greater than 1, it suggests the outbreak is growing.<\/p>\n The values are shown as a range, which means the true rate most likely lies somewhere between the upper and lower estimates.<\/p>\n But this morning, Dr Hopkins suggested the R rate may soon stop dominating decisions on schools closures and lockdowns – as the vaccines roll-out cuts the number of people admitted to hospital or dying of Covid.<\/p>\n "One of the tests the Government is using is the relationship between hospitalisations and deaths, and that's going to change in the next phase," she said.<\/p>\n "Traditionally, we knew the amount of cases in the community is directly related to hospitalisations and deaths that we would see in future weeks.<\/p>\n "However, with the impact of vaccination, that has changed." <\/p>\n Mr Marr asked if Brits are "tiptoeing into a new world where we cease to obsess endlessly about the R rate" – because when it doesn't reflect a surge in cases that will lead directly to deaths, it'll be "less important".<\/p>\n "That's clearly what we hope," Dr Hopkins said.<\/p>\n "We would like R to stay under one, because that'll mean we have the least amount of impact on our population, but we also know the vaccination is the way out."<\/p>\n Elsewhere, the medic was asked about masks in schools after Government officials confirmed they're advising all secondary school pupils, teachers and support staff to wear face coverings throughout the day.<\/p>\n No requirement is in place for primary schools, although teachers have been advised to wear masks "where possible".<\/p>\n Education Secretary Gavin Williamson\u00a0this morning backed the measure, and said teachers will be handed "clear guidance" on how to approach the issue.<\/p>\n He argued measures already in place are successful – with just 0.2 per cent of pupils testing positive for\u00a0Covid\u00a0between September and Christmas.<\/p>\n And Amanda Spielman, the chief executive of Ofsted, said Brit youngsters are "adaptable and flexible" –\u00a0but admits she hopes masks and testing will be gone from schools soon.<\/p>\n "I really hope paraphernalia of masks and testing is only for short time," she told Sky's Sophy Ridge,<\/p>\n "We've been told the face mask guidance will be reviewed at Easter.<\/p>\n "I love the idea of children being able to come back in the summer term able to see everybody fully."<\/p>\n Mr Marr asked Dr Hopkins whether the masks are necessary when evidence shows teachers are no more likely to fall seriously ill or die "than anyone else is".<\/p>\n She said: "In late November and early December, there were rapid rises particularly in secondary school age children that were associated with the variant that emerged in Kent."<\/p>\n However said masks will be "kept under review".<\/p>\n\n
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