Pupils and teachers should wear face coverings in corridors and other communal areas of post-primary schools.
That’s the updated guidance this evening from Education Minister Peter Weir.
This will come into effect on 31 August when schools return on a full-time basis.
The Minister said following further advice from the Chief Medical Officer and the Chief Scientific Adviser, he is recommending that pupils and teachers wear a face covering in corridors and other communal areas.
This updates the existing guidance on the use of face coverings in educational settings.
“The current public health advice is that the use of face coverings provides some benefits, however, it is not a replacement for frequent hand washing, social distancing where possible, covering your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze and regular cleaning of surfaces. It is also important to remember that evidence suggests that the risk of transmission in schools is relatively low compared to some other settings,” he said.
The Minister said the advice remains the same for school transport – that all pupils wear a face covering on school transport including buses and taxis where it is appropriate for them to do so.
“In relation to communal areas in schools, the guidance already strongly encourages face coverings for activities that entail large numbers of staff or pupils within an enclosed space where social distancing is not possible.
“Given the risk mitigations in place in schools to limit and contain the spread of COVID-19, face coverings are not recommended as being compulsory for routine use in education settings. However, staff and pupils may wish to use them during the routine school day and this is acceptable. Schools should also be aware that some persons (including some children) are exempt from wearing face coverings,” he said.
This evening I updated our New School Day guidance on face coverings for post primaries. It can be found here: https://t.co/Yy2KoKtMIs My priorities remain the full time, face to face, teaching of our children & the safety of staff and pupils at all times.
— Peter Weir (@peterweirmla) August 25, 2020