Unions call on secondary schools and colleges to retain masks

As further easing of lockdown happens in England today (Monday), UNISON has joined with other education unions to call on English secondary schools and colleges to continue the policy of staff and pupils wearing masks after the government at Westminster scrapped it. Together with NASUWT, GMB, NEU and UNITE, the union says that there is a “strong case” for continuing with the current arrangements, and recommends that schools and colleges use the flexibility in the new guidance from the Department of Education to “actively encourage students and staff … to continue wearing face coverings in classrooms and communal areas”. This would then be subject to review in the run up to the next step on the national roadmap out of lockdown, from 21 June. In a letter, the unions raise concern that cases of the B.1.617.2 variant – “linked to the exponential growth of the pandemic across India and nearby regions” – are now being found across England. Cases of this variant, where there is no link to travel or surge testing, are doubling, week on week, with several outbreaks having happened in schools, with the potential to have contributed to community spread. The letter also points out that ONS data shows that, of primary school age children who have caught COVID-19, 10% have persistent symptoms as long as five weeks after the initial infection, while the figure for secondary school age children is 13%. Between 7-8% have symptoms that persist for at least 12 weeks. Scien...
Source: UNISON meat hygiene - Category: Food Science Authors: Tags: Article News Covid-19 education schools Source Type: news