Sarah Olney, MP for Richmond Park, has responded to the Prime Minister's announcement that schools will not be re-opened before March 8, welcoming the time it will give the vaccine to be rolled out for the most vulnerable.

Sarah says: "I know first-hand how difficult the school closures are, especially for those who are required to continue working but don't qualify for a key worker place.

"However, while the evidence for the level of risk associated with schools is quite mixed, it's clear that schools do – at the very least – play a role in community transmission, with levels of infection in schools clearly matching those of the wider community.

"With that in mind, I believe it's vital that we keep infection rates down in the local community, and this includes keeping schools shut.

"While Kingston and Richmond have some of the lowest rates of infection amongst London boroughs, London still has some of the worst infection rates in the country. We must therefore remain vigilant, careful and patient."

Despite the call for patience, Sarah points to the vaccine rollout as cause for optimism.

She says: "The rate at which the vaccine is being rolled out is enormously encouraging.

"We are on track to vaccinate the four most vulnerable groups by February 15 and I believe it will be at this point that we can begin discussing re-opening schools safely and permanently."