The fact that “very low” numbers of teachers have so far died from coronavirus is a “signal” that schools will be safe when they reopen to many more pupils, the government’s deputy chief medical officer said tonight.

Jenny Harries made her comments when she was asked whether the government would take notice of a warning from the British Medical Association that reopening schools should not be considered until Covid-19 case numbers are much lower.

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Dr Harries answered by saying that there were two groups at potential risk in schools. Children “probably” had the same level of infections as adults but “definitely don’t get as ill”’.

For younger pupils, she said: “Evidence is still growing but there may be some evidence there that they are less likely to pass it on.”

She continued: “For teachers - again it’s difficult because we have had lockdown - but [there are] some high-level sort of signals.

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“If you look at the ONS [Office for National Statistics] death rates, for example, the teaching profession on that - they are quite crude data, so we have to look at it carefully -  but [they are] very low actually in comparison to a number of other different professions or work areas.

“So I think we have got a number of signals that say this [schools] is a safe place to go.”

The latest ONS death figures show that between 9 March and 20 April at least 26 teachers died from coronavirus in England and Wales.

The last four weeks of that six-week period were during lockdown when no more than 2.4 per cent of pupils were in school. 

This has led critics on social media to liken Dr Harries’ comments to the home secretary, Priti Patel, trumpeting a fall in shoplifting during lockdown. 

However, when looking at figures on deaths, it is important to consider that people who die from coronavirus generally do so about three weeks after becoming infected.

So a lot of that ONS data on teacher deaths is likely to relate to infections from the period prior to 23 March and lockdown, when school attendance was normal. 

Dr Harries also pointed to the falling number of cases in the general population. 

“The latest ONS data suggests that maybe last week there was about one in 400 people with infection,” she said. “Another couple of weeks, that is halving with our current reduction rate, so that is going to be maybe half that rate.

“So I think parents and teachers should not be thinking that every school is likely to be swarming with cases. We are moving in quite a different direction now.”

But teaching unions say they still have many questions over the safety of school reopenings.

Yesterday the Department for Education published a summary of the scientific advice it received from the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), revealing that there is a “low degree of confidence” that children transmit the virus less than adults.

Dr Harries made her comments at the daily Downing Street briefing that was today led by education secretary Gavin Williamson.

He said that he understood that teachers were “very anxious” about school reopenings from 1 June.

But he also warned there was a “consequence” to delaying the opening of schools, saying that disadvantaged pupils would “miss out”.