LONDON: Children in high school in the UK will be told to wear a face cover when they return after the Christmas holiday next week to overcome the surge in the Omicron of Covid-19 variant, said Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi on Sunday.
“We want to maximize the number of children in schools and colleges for the maximum amount of time,” he said in an article on Sunday Telegraph.
“One of the additional steps that will help achieve this considering the surge of Omicron recommends the face cover imposed in middle classrooms and teaching rooms for the coming weeks – although no more than needed.” England is the only one of the four English countries where the previous face cover was not recommended in class.
With the number of daily infections on the highest record and positively testing people are needed to isolate at least seven days, schools and other public services face disorders of the lack of staff.
The government has asked the public sector manager to prepare the worst scenario of 25% of staff absent in the next few weeks.
Zahawi said some distance learning would be needed given the number of students and teachers who had to isolate themselves.
But he added that face-to-face teaching will continue to be the norm and test that is expected to continue as planned this month.