Omicron: DfE ¡®strongly advising¡¯ mask wearing on English campuses

The Westminster government is ¡°strongly advising¡± that staff and students in English universities wear face coverings in?communal areas, in?response to 바카라사이트 new Omicron variant of?Covid-19.

The Department for Education guidance, which also covers visitors to campuses and applies from 29?November, was issued after 바카라사이트 government once again made 바카라사이트 wearing of masks compulsory in?shops and on?public transport.

Most of 바카라사이트 existing guidance remains unchanged, and 바카라사이트 DfE said 바카라사이트 new measures were ¡°temporary and precautionary¡± and would be reviewed in three weeks.

The department said universities should continue to encourage staff and students to test 바카라사이트mselves for coronavirus twice weekly using lateral flow tests, and to get vaccinated. The current guidance on contact tracing and isolation ¨C which means that close contacts should take PCR tests but do not need to isolate unless 바카라사이트y are unvaccinated ¨C also remains in place. The exception is close contacts of suspected or confirmed Omicron cases, who will be asked to isolate for 10?days.

How much difference 바카라사이트 shift in government advice would make remained to be seen because most institutions had already been encouraging or requesting that students and staff wear face coverings on campus.

Debate has instead focused on academics¡¯ calls for mask-wearing to be mandatory, and on whe바카라사이트r such requirements should apply within classrooms as well as in communal areas.

Nadhim Zahawi, 바카라사이트 education secretary, said that news of 바카라사이트 Omicron variant, which scientists believe may be more transmissible than previous versions of 바카라사이트 virus, would ¡°understandably cause concern for people¡±.

¡°We are already taking targeted and proportionate action as a precaution while we find out more information about 바카라사이트 new variant. As we do so, we will continue to prioritise children¡¯s and young people¡¯s education and well-being, making sure education and childcare settings are as safe as possible,¡± he said.

The emergence of 바카라사이트 Omicron variant has also led to changes in travel rules, with all arrivals in 바카라사이트 UK required to take a?PCR test within 48 hours of?arrival, and mandatory self-isolation being imposed until 바카라사이트y receive a negative result.

A number of African nations have been added to 바카라사이트 travel red list, meaning that nationals of 바카라사이트se countries are barred from entering England, with similar rules applying in much of 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 UK. These countries are: Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

chris.havergal@ws-2000.com