DOZENS of teachers in Cumbria were absent because of coronavirus on just one day before Christmas, new figures reveal.

Department for Education figures show 20 teachers and school leaders in Cumbria state schools were absent with either a suspected or confirmed case of Covid-19 on December 17.

There were also 45 forced to isolate. This means 65 were off for Covid-19 related reasons on just one day – 2.1 per cent of all teachers in schools that remained open.

This was up from 2 per cent on the same day the week before, but down from 2.6 per cent on October 15, the first date the survey was conducted.

On December 17, 99.5 per cent of schools that responded to the survey in Cumbria were open, after Education Secretary Gavin Williamson threatened one council with legal action to prevent it closing schools.

Chris Brooksbank, the National Education Union secretary for Cumbria, said school staff members need to be 'smart and understand the science'.

He said: "Bearing in mind we have nearly 350 settings in Cumbria - some have two or three staff members and some have over 100 - so 65 staff members being off for Covid-19 related reasons doesn't sound that many.

"My concern or question would be are these all close contacts?

"The evidence suggests that schools are major points of transmission. In terms of staff working within schools, you are more likely to get ill.

"Staff are working at the centre of transmission so their risk is increased so we have to be smart and understand the science - wash your hands, keep socially distanced and follow the rules.

"At the moment infection rates in Cumbria are some of the highest in the UK, so we need to follow the science and keep to the rules."

The DfE figures also show 63 (1.4 per cent) teaching assistants and other school staff in Cumbria were absent for coronavirus-related reasons on December 17.

Of them, 20 had either a suspected or confirmed case of the disease, and 43 were isolating.

The National Association of Head Teachers said the new figures show every school is experiencing the impact of Covid-19 differently, and therefore it was a sensible idea to reopen areas at different speeds.