FACE coverings will no longer be required in schools in Wales from next week, the Welsh Government has announced.

Currently, secondary school pupils, staff and visitors are required to wear face masks when moving around outside the classroom in areas where physical distancing is not possible, such as corridors.

But today education and Welsh language minister Jeremy Miles has announced Covid-19 regulations for schools will be brought in line with guidance for businesses and other organisations from Monday, May 9.

Since September last year, schools have applied measures to stop the spread of Coronavirus according to local circumstances, based on the Local Covid-19 infection control decision framework for schools. But from next week this framework will be scrapped.

Mr Miles said: “In line with the wider public health guidance published at the last three-week review, we have today written to headteachers to signpost the impending changes to our advice for schools, which reflect the move from pandemic to endemic.

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“This will ensure school guidance is more closely aligned with the rest of society.

“We all know that Covid-19 has not gone away.

“It remains vitally important we reduce the spread of the virus where we can – this includes, for example, following self-isolation guidance, and for education settings to continue to undertake robust risk assessments.”

Face masks have not been required in classrooms since the end of February.

This is part of the Welsh Government’s long-term transition from a pandemic situation to that of an endemic. The Welsh Government has said the risk from Covid-19 is now considered in the same context as other infectious diseases such as flu.

It is currently planned for all remaining restrictions – including the requirement to wear face masks in health and care setting – to be scrapped on May 9. An announcement about whether this will go ahead is expected later this week.

Schools will be provided with a checklist to consider which control measures remain proportionate. Special schools will continue to follow the advice for children and young people with higher clinical risk and clinically extremely vulnerable adults.

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