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A major announcement from the Department of Education in England confirms students will no longer be required to wear face coverings in school.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said, “From tomorrow we will no longer require face masks in classrooms and the Department for Education will shortly remove national guidance on their use in communal areas.”
“Pupils won’t need to wear face coverings in classrooms in schools and colleges from today,” a statement reads from the official Twitter account for the Department for Education.
“This is because the national data shows the prevalence of Covid to be on a downward trajectory,” the statement continued.
“Face coverings will no longer be needed in indoor communal areas from Thurs 27 January.”
Take a look:
Pupils won't need to wear face coverings in classrooms in schools and colleges from today.
This is because the national data shows the prevalence of Covid to be on a downward trajectory.
Face coverings will no longer be needed in indoor communal areas from Thurs 27 January. pic.twitter.com/bUicFdNDwF
— Department for Education (@educationgovuk) January 20, 2022
Watch the clip:
“From tomorrow we will no longer require face masks in classrooms and the Department for Education will shortly remove national guidance on their use in communal areas.” pic.twitter.com/Sg6nfJFH9h
— Anthony LaMesa (@ajlamesa) January 19, 2022
In the U.S., the CDC guidance on masks has not changed despite new research that shows cloth masks are not effective at protecting against the omicron variant of COVID-19. Only the highly protective N95 or K95 masks are effective, according to research outlined by Fox News.
More from USA Today:
Your cloth face mask isn’t protecting you against the coronavirus variant omicron, health officials say.
As common as cloth face masks have become, health experts say, they do little to prevent tiny virus particles from getting into your nose or mouth and aren’t effective against the new variant.
“Cloth masks are not going to cut it with omicron,” says Linsey Marr, a researcher at Virginia Tech told NPR.
Health experts are urging the public to opt for three-ply surgical masks, KN95 masks or N95 masks, which offer more protection against the highly contagious variant.
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Omicron spreads more quickly and efficiently than other known coronavirus variants and is extremely transmissible – even through thick fabric face masks. Several countries, such as Germany and Austria, have surgical masks requirements in public.
