THE Prime Minister has announced today that children should not expect to go back to school until March.

Boris Johnson told MPs this afternoon that it will not be possible to reopen schools “immediately after the February half term”.

The PM said in his statement in the House of Commons that he hoped it would be safe to begin the reopening of England’s schools from March 8.

Johnson told the Commons: “The first sign of normality beginning to return should be pupils going back to their classrooms. I know how parents and teachers need as much certainty as possible including two weeks’ notice of the return of face-to-face teaching.

“So I must inform the House that for the reasons I have outlined it will not be possible to reopen schools immediately after the February half-term. But I know how frustrating that will be for pupils and teachers who want nothing more than to get back to the classroom.

“And for parents and for carers who spent so many months juggling their day jobs, not only with home schooling but meeting the myriad other demands of their children from breakfast until bedtime.”

The Prime Minister said he hopes classrooms can reopen after March 8.

Boris Johnson told the Commons: “If we achieve our target of vaccinating everyone in the four most vulnerable groups with their first dose by February 15, and every passing day sees more progress towards that goal, then those groups (will) have developed immunity from the virus about three-weeks later, that is by March 8.

“We hope it will therefore be safe to begin the reopening of schools from Monday, March 8.

“With other economic and social restrictions being removed thereafter as and when the data permits… then or thereafter I should say.”

Boris Johnson said children eligible for food parcels or vouchers will receive these until they return to school.

He said: “As we are extending the period of remote learning beyond the middle of February I can confirm that the Government will prolong arrangements for providing free school meals with those eligible children not in school including food parcels and the national voucher scheme until they have returned to school.”

Mr Johnson also said a “programme of catch-up” would be put in place for pupils as well as summer schools.

He added: “We will provide a programme of catch-up over the next financial year and this will involve a further £300 million of new money for schools for tutoring.

“And we will work in collaboration with the education sector to develop specific initiatives for summer schools and the Covid premium to support catch-up.”

Johnson also announced that UK nationals and residents returning from “red list” countries will be placed in quarantine in Government-provided accommodation such as hotels for 10 days.

Boris Johnson has announced new border restrictions for travellers arriving in the UK from certain countries.

The Prime Minister told the Commons: “I want to make clear that under the stay at home regulations, it is illegal to leave home to travel abroad for leisure purposes and we will enforce this at ports and airports by asking people why they are leaving and instructing them to return home if they do not have a valid reason to travel.

“We have also banned all travel from 22 countries where there is a risk of known variants including South Africa, Portugal and South American nations.

“And in order to reduce the risk posed by UK nationals and residents returning home from these countries, I can announce that we will require all such arrivals who cannot be refused entry to isolate in Government provided accommodation, such as hotels, for 10 days without exception.

“They will be met at the airport and transported directly into quarantine. The Department of Health and Social Care is working to establish these facilities as quickly as possible.