The secretary of the Cumbrian National Education Union is concerned that it is not safe enough to reopen schools in just under two weeks.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced yesterday while revealing the country’s roadmap that all schools will reopen on March 8.

However, Chris Brooksbank, Cumbria’s NEU secretary, is unsure that it is the right approach.

He said: “While we fully understand the desire to get everyone back into schools as soon as possible we are still quite concerned.

“It might be too much too quickly, and I feel a lot of staff will think that across the country.

“The Government need to provide more reassurance – we still do not know how it will go.

“We are still well over 100 cases per 100,000 and even more in Cumbria.

“We still don’t know if it is safe.

“A lot of the evidence is still very unclear.

“If we have more transmission because of school then that is a real worry.

“We know that young people are at a relatively low risk of being ill from Covid-19 but their parents and grandparents might not be.

“We are still at higher levels than when we were locking down earlier in the year.

“We are gambling.”

Under the Government’s roadmap, pubs and restaurants will be allowed to open beer gardens and outside dining on April 12.

People must stick to a maximum of six people from multiple households and will need to order, eat and drink while seated.

There will be no curfew and the ‘substantial meal’ is also being dropped.

Furness CAMRA branch chairman Dave Stubbins said: “It is about the need to get us all safe.

“The issue is the health of the nation and we need to get out of this.

“The pub in the street desperately needs to survive.

“The important thing that the Government needs to understand is that the whole hospitality industry needs support during this period.

“I am hoping that the vaccination programme and the declining rates continue and we can start to enjoy ourselves again in pubs.”

Keith Devlin, owner of Ironwerx, will be allowed to reopen his gym on April 12.

He said: “It is disappointing that it is more than six weeks away, and I hoped we could get back sooner for the sake of people’s physical and mental health.

“But I do feel like there is light at the end of the tunnel now that we have got a date and looking forward to see all the members back again.”

As part of his appreciation, Keith has revealed that all members who have continued to pay their subs during lockdown will permanently receive a rate at just £15 each month.