Zahawi stressed that the decision was an attempt to “minimize disruptions” in schools, at a time when the Omicron variant, which is the most contagious of those known, propels coronavirus infections in the UK to record levels.
Teachers will not have to wear them under the new guidelines, he added, the BBC reported.
Until now, England was the only one of the four parts of the UK where the use of masks was not recommended for pupils in classrooms, something that was recommended in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland for students aged 11 and over.
During the two weeks of holidays that the United Kingdom has for Christmas, in the middle of winter, the number of daily cases of coronavirus broke all records, reaching 189,000 on December 31.
Zahawi indicated that education was the “number one priority” for him and the Prime Minister’s Conservative government, Boris Johnson, which only has health competitions in England.
We will do “everything in our power” to minimize interruptions in the teaching of classes, said the Minister of Education.
Johnson imposed some restrictions early last month, such as the use of masks in most places in England, telecommuting whenever possible and a vaccination certificate to attend mass events.
However, days before and days after Christmas ruled out stricter restrictions, despite requests from experts doctors and nurses union complaints.
On Saturday, British Health Minister Sajid Javid insisted that reimposing coronavirus restrictions in England would be an “absolute last resort”, and that one should “try to live with Covid.”
The United Kingdom is one of the countries hardest hit by the pandemic, with almost 149,000 deaths.
163,000 new cases were reported on Saturday, a slight drop after several days of unprecedented infections.
Source From: Ambito
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