A decision on whether schools will return next month is likely to be made this week , Downing Street has suggested.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said the Government was keen to resolve the issue “as soon as we can”, amid a growing row between ministers and unions over the safety of teachers and children.
It came as medical experts said a loss or changed sense of taste or smell would be added to the NHS coronavirus symptoms list, alongside a cough and fever, weeks after experts first raised concerns that Covid-19 cases were being missed.
Anyone experiencing any of these coronavirus red flags should now self-isolate for seven days to reduce the risk of spreading the infection.
Meanwhile, Health Secretary Matt Hancock has announced that anyone aged over the age of five with symptoms is now eligible for a coronavirus test.