Covid-19: Trafford schools asked to bring back masks

Some schools have reintroduced face masks

Students and staff in Trafford are being asked to wear face masks again after a rise in coronavirus cases.

The borough's council said the increase had been "driven by a rise in infections in school children".

Face coverings have not been compulsory in English schools since May, but rising cases have seen some reintroducing them.

Parents are also being asked to wear face masks when dropping off and picking up children.

The new measures will be introduced across the borough from Monday.

According to latest figures, Trafford has the fifth highest infection rate in the country at 669 per 100,000 people - an increase of about 40% in the week up to 4 October.

A council spokesperson said there had been 29 outbreaks in schools across the borough, which was having "a big impact on school attendance and staff absence".

The vaccination rollout could lead to a sustained fall in infections

Since August, double-vaccinated adults and all children in England have not had to self-isolate if they are a close contact of someone who has the virus.

However, Trafford pupils and school staff who live with someone who has Covid are now being asked to take daily lateral flow tests before attending school.

Helen Gollins, Trafford Council's acting director of public health, said: "Sadly our Covid-19 rate in Trafford is very high and it continues to rise.

"With these measures, we hope to reduce the number of cases in schools so children can continue to attend lessons."

BBC health correspondent Nick Triggle has said the epidemic in the UK is largely being fuelled by high rates in teenagers, especially among those under the age of 16 who have not had a chance to get vaccinated over the summer.

Children are at very low risk of serious illness, however the concern is that infections in the young could spread to older age groups.

Early signs suggest this is not happening, and the rise in children may have peaked, but rates among teenagers will remain high for a short while.

Through a combination of natural immunity and the vaccination programme, he said there could be a sustained fall in infections as winter approaches.

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