It’s understood there will be a need for face coverings in secondary schools if social distancing can’t be maintained.
The Department of Education is considering new guidelines provided by health officials on the issue.
It’s reported the advice for secondary schools will see staff and students wearing face coverings if social distancing isn’t possible in the school setting.
The recommendations, issued to the Department by the Health Protection Surveillance Centre, are due to be published later this afternoon.
It would see a shift towards wearing face coverings after the government’s roadmap to reopening schools didn’t suggest it.
Overnight, the European Centre for Disease Control said in an infographic that face masks WOULD help in keeping COVID-19 transmissions low in school settings.
This is interesting, as the Health Minister Stephen Donnelly said earlier this week he would await this advice because considering the move.
Department officials are engaging with school management, teachers and parents representatives before the expected puplication of the guildelines later this afternoon.
Feature Image: @UtahCoronavirus
When K-12 schools open this fall, expect increased cleaning, hand sanitizer/hand washing in each classroom. Faculty and staff will wear face masks when appropriate. Local school boards will set face mask policies for students. pic.twitter.com/LpYdHEjlwg
— State of Utah COVID-19 Response (@UtahCoronavirus) June 25, 2020
