Maldon now waits to hear whether primary schools will re-open next week as planned - and school and college students will face a delayed return.

Whether the district will be designated a 'contingency framework area' - where primary schools will not re-open as intended - is expected to be announced shortly.

Speaking in Parliament this afternoon (Wednesday, 30 December) Education Secretary Gavin Williamson announced that in "a small number of areas where the infection rates are highest we will implement our existing contingency framework, such that only vulnerable and children of critical workers will be able to attend face-to-face."

He added: "We continue to protect education by protecting children first. We will be opening the majority of primary schools as planned on Monday, 4 January. In a small number of areas we will implement our existing contingency arrangements and this is only being used as a last resort."

"The areas will also be reviewed regularly so that schools can be opened at the earliest possible moment."

In almost all areas, secondary school children will return in a delayed and staggered arrangement to allow for the rollout of Covid testing. Students in 'exam years' (Years 11 and 13) will return on 11 January and in other years on 18 January.

However, again, some of this may vary when the 'contingency framework areas' are announced.

Maldon Nub News will bring you more details on this breaking news story as they emerge.