Face masks mandatory in England schools amid Omicron spread

London: Secondary school students in England will be required to wear face coverings in classrooms amid the spread of the Omicron variant of COVID-19, the UK government said on Sunday.

The rules, which bring England in line with other parts of the United Kingdom, are to be brought in on a temporary basis in time for students to return to classrooms after the Christmas holidays next week.

Pupils are also being asked to take part in on-site rapid COVID tests and to get their vaccines, if due, before the start of the new term.

"The Prime Minister [Boris Johnson] and I have been clear that education is our number one priority. These measures will bolster our support to schools as we do everything in our power to minimise disruption," said UK Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi.

There is no doubt that the Omicron variant presents challenges but the entire education sector has responded with a Herculean effort, and for that I thank each and every one of you, he said.

The classroom rule, which does not include teachers, will apply until a review planned for January 26.

The government also announced it would be making 7,000 air cleaning units available to schools and colleges as part of efforts to tackle the spread of Omicron.

The announcement comes as the UK recorded another 162,572 new COVID-19 cases in the country on Saturday. It has led to the government drawing up contingency plans over fears that up to a quarter of public sector workers could be absent due to the high number of cases.

Prime Minister Johnson has told ministers to test preparations for a possible worst-case scenario as swathes of workers are forced into a compulsory seven-day isolation after testing positive for COVID-19.

There are fears of chaos for public services, transport networks, and the National Health Service (NHS) staffing levels. Some rail services in January have already been cancelled, or emergency timetables introduced, amid soaring

staff sickness.