'I'm the ninth staff member to have Covid in December,' says primary school teacher

22 December 2020, 20:57

This is the moment a primary school teacher told Iain Dale that he is the ninth member of staff at his workplace to get coronavirus this month.

Mark in Coventry, who today tested positive for coronavirus, spoke to LBC amid concerns about a new coronavirus variant which Public Health England have said includes a mutation in the spike protein.

Concerns about the spread of the new variant has led to the dramatic scaling back of Christmas plans, with mixing banned in Tier 4 areas and the three-household provision being allowed for just Christmas Day in the rest of England.

Boris Johnson said the new variant was up to 70% more transmissible than the original strain, while Health Secretary Matt Hancock admitted it was "out of control" and the Tier 4 lockdown may have to remain in place for months.

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Mark told Iain: "I'm a primary school teacher in Coventry and I've heard a lot today about the new variant of Covid spreading around the country.

"And it seems obvious from what the Government are saying that the primary driver of that is children."

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He added: "Younger children are getting this more and more.

"I work in a small primary school in Coventry. I'm the ninth member of staff to have coronavirus in December."