THE World Health Organisation (WHO) has recommended all children over the age of 12 wear face coverings.
The direction from the global agency comes as the Scottish Government mull over changing the guidance for secondary school children. Currently, children are not currently required to wear masks in school or on school buses.
Staff are only required to cover their mouth if they come into close contact with a pupil for an extended period of time, though the Government have been clear that anyone who wants to wear one is allowed to do so.
A recent survey by the EIS teaching union found that 41% of teachers supported the mandatory wearing of face coverings by senior pupils in the classroom.
A growing number of teenagers have tested positive for Covid-19 since classes resumed two weeks ago, but the Government says this is down to community transfer, from events such as house parties, rather than from school.
A secondary school in Edinburgh has today made it mandatory for wearing face coverings indoors whilst moving around between classes.
James Gillespie’s High School said masks, face coverings and visors will be available free of charge to anyone who has lost or forgotten their own.
Meanwhile, Denny High School in Falkirk is also encouraging pupils and staff to wear masks while inside the school building and buses.
While WHO admits little is known about how children transmit the virus, they say there is enough evidence to show that teenagers can infect others in the same way as adults.
They say children aged 12 and over should wear a mask under the same conditions as the over 18s.
In particular, they recommend covering the mouth when it’s impossible to guarantee a distance of at least one metre from others and there is widespread transmission in the area.
For children aged between six and 11, the WHO advises taking into account how widespread the transmission of the virus is and whether the child is interacting with high-risk individuals such as the elderly.
Children aged five and under should not, under normal circumstances, wear masks.
For teachers, the WHO says: “In areas where there is widespread transmission, all adults under the age of 60 and who are in general good health should wear fabric masks when they cannot guarantee at least a one-metre distance from others.
“This is particularly important for adults working with children who may have close contact with children and one another.”
Adults aged 60 or over, or those with underlying health conditions, should wear medical masks, it says.
Speaking at a coronavirus briefing on Friday, Nicola Sturgeon said the Government’s Education Recovery Group is to discuss guidance around wearing masks in schools.
The First Minister said: “I do think there is a possibility that our advice on that may change.” She added: “If and when we change guidance on any aspect of how we tackle this virus we will set it out in the normal way, as clearly as possible.”
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