Schools in England told to wear masks in fear of Omicron

LONDON: All pupils in secondary schools in England should return to wearing masks in classrooms, ministers said last night, as fears grew that the new term could trigger a huge spike in cases of the Omicron variant.
The new advice came amid mounting criticism of the government for failing to ensure availability of the Coronavirus (Covid-19) testing kits in time for the return to schools and workplaces following the Christmas holidays.
The Department for Education said the advice was “short-term only to support pupils and teachers as they return to school this term” and would remain in place until 26 January, when it would be reviewed.
However, there are mounting concerns among scientists and in the medical profession that a further rapid rise in infections is possible, particularly in England, where rules on socialising over Christmas and the new year were more relaxed .
Yesterday, the number of confirmed cases in England was a record 162,572 cases.
A lack of testing equipment is also adding to staffing problems across public services. – The Guardian