Parents could be asked to test their children twice a week for coronavirus when schools reopen in England.

Boris Johnson is preparing to set out his “road map” next week where he will detail plans to guide the country out of lockdown.

A return to classrooms has been highlighted as a priority as the government plan the gradual easing of lockdown restrictions in England, with March the 8th being the date earmarked by the Prime Minister.

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But for schools to reopen as planned, parents of secondary school children may be asked to administer lateral flow tests twice a week to ensure a smooth return to the classroom, according to reports.

Health minister, Helen Whately said there is “work in progress” after being questioned about reports that parents could be asked to test their children at home twice a week.

She told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “There is work being done to look at how testing will help schools come back. But there will be more details set out about that next week.”

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Ms Whately, asked about the Telegraph’s report that parents of secondary school children will be asked to administer rapid flow tests during term time, said: “I’m not going to get drawn into that.”

But she went on: “There is work in progress looking at how testing can support schools to come back.

“There’s already testing going on in schools, where you have children of key workers and teachers in schools at the moment, because schools aren’t completely closed, and there is work going on at the moment about the details of the return to schools, and there will be more said about that next week.”

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Officials are reportedly set to meet teaching union leaders next week to finalise plans for at-home testing.

Figures released by the government show 1.7 million lateral flow tests have been taken in secondary schools and colleges in England.

Students are offered two tests on their return to school while teachers are offered a test twice a week.

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