PRIMARY schools have been welcoming back some of their pupils this week as the next phase of easing the lockdown gets under way.

Essex County Council says around 75 per cent of schools were in a position to re-open on the official return day on Monday.

At present, only children in Reception, Year 1 and 6 are allowed to attend school, while nurseries have also been accepting youngsters again.

The easing of the lockdown comes despite some warnings it is happening too early.

New data released by Public Health England shows 33 care homes in mid Essex have registered possible outbreaks of Covid-19.

The figures are up to the week starting on May 18 and take into account suspected and confirmed outbreaks, including residential and nursing homes.

In the Braintree district, 18 care homes have reported potential outbreaks – with four of those recorded in May.

It means a third of homes in the region have registered suspected outbreaks.

Top health bosses have said it is still too soon to look at allowing people to visit care homes, despite guidance on shielding being updated earlier this week.

Dr Jenny Harries, deputy chief medical officer for England, said: “In a care home setting it is important the level of infection is kept very low because it is an accumulation, if you like, of a number of very vulnerable people often.”

She said, while colleagues in the Department of Health are reviewing what visiting measures should be, it is “probably a little bit too early” for the advice to change.

Latest figures from the Office for National Statistics show 96 deaths linked to coronavirus have now been recorded in the district.

As many as 72 of those deaths have been recorded in hospitals, while a further 19 were in care homes. The remaining deaths have occurred in other settings such as private homes or hospice.

The data is correct up to May 22.

The number of confirmed cases of coronavirus in the Braintree district now stands at 244.

Meanwhile across the whole of the Essex County Council region, 3,257 people have tested positive for Covid-19.