Face masks to remain in Scottish schools after Easter break

Pupils will have to continue wearing face coverings in communal areas after the Easter break

Secondary school pupils will have to keep wearing face coverings in communal areas after the Easter holidays.

The Scottish government has confirmed this will apply to every school in the country.

Masks will need to be worn by pupils and staff in communal areas and when moving around inside school buildings.

It comes as the mask rules for the general public in shops and on public transport are expected to be converted to guidance by 4 April.

The latest weekly ONS sampling suggests one in 14 Scots had the virus in the week ending 12 March, while on Monday the number of hospital patients with Covid rose to record levels.

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The rising number of cases have already begun to impact schools due to the high levels of staff absences.

At least six schools have been fully closed and many pupils are being moved to remote learning.

A Scottish government spokesperson said: "Following the Easter break, face coverings will continue to be required in communal areas for staff and secondary school pupils.

"This national guidance will apply in every school in Scotland."

Pupils have not had to wear masks while sitting in classrooms since 28 February.

Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland on Wednesday, Health Secretary Humza Yousaf confirmed that next week cabinet would consider changing the legal requirement to wear a face covering to guidance.

"As you would expect, schools would apply the national guidance, we would expect them to do so," he said.

"I still expect a large swathe of the population will follow the public guidance," he added, noting that there would still be certain settings - as well as schools - where the guidance would be to wear a face covering.

The Scottish Conservatives said the change had taken "far longer than was necessary", with young people's education "unnecessarily disrupted for far too long".

However the EIS teaching union said it would have rather seen masks kept in place until the end of March.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon insisted the change had been made "at the right time and in line with expert advice".

On 21 March it was expected that the legal requirement to wear face coverings in shops, hospitality venues and public transport would also be downgraded to guidance on the same date.

However, the first minister said it would remain as a regulation for "a further short period" because of the surge in cases.