Rumours of schools closing down circle as the uncertainty around the new Omicron variant rush through the country. 

Today, over 19,000 cases of the Omicron variant were confirmed, with now 11 people hospitalised as a result. This highly infectious, fast-spreading variant of covid-19, has put the country in a great ongoing struggle to try and tackle it.

Many people are now working from home, following the Prime Minister's guidelines to work from home if possible. Rules such as this one were taking place at the beginning of this year and it seems as if we are going backwards to tackle the virus rather than forwards. The big question is, will schools have to shut down, looking at the extent of Omicron and how dangerous it really is.

At my school, my teachers have already mentioned the chances of this happening and the importance of studying from home which I believe to be unnecessary if there wasn't a genuine worry about the current situation. When schools were shut due to the first lockdown in 2020, it brought a huge impact onto all students, especially those in exam years and it should be stressed that the importance for schools to remain open is vital. However, this does also have to be done with caution as the government need to put the safety of people first.

There are however many ways in which I believe the government could still keep students in school and still keep people safe by perhaps having bubbles for year groups so there is less transmission within schools. I think every student in an important year i.e. an exam year is terrified of the possibility of schools being closed down once again and we should all make sure we keep safe in the next couple of weeks to hopefully tackle this new variant.