Pupils and staff at Tameside's secondary schools are being asked to wear face coverings again when moving around indoors. 

The advice from Tameside Council's Public Health Team, which has written to schools and parents, will come into effect from Tuesday (19 October). 

Pupils will not need to wear face coverings while sat at their desks in classrooms, when eating or whilst outside, but those who use public transport or car share to and from school are also being 'strongly recommended' to wear masks and sanitise their hands at the beginning and end of every journey. 

The council say the new measures are being introduced for "at least the next four weeks" and will be reviewed for the new term starting on Monday 1 November. 

The authority says the Public Health Team is 'working closely with schools to reduce the number of Covid-19 cases and ensure schools can remain open so children can continue to access in-person education'. 

They also say that the number of cases across the borough has increased over the last few weeks, in particular in young people aged between 12 and 17 - who are now being offered a Covid-19 vaccine. 

More widely, the latest coronavirus infection rates show increases in all ten boroughs of Greater Manchester - including Tameside - with Trafford now reporting the highest infection rates in the United Kingdom.

In addition, families are being 'strongly encouraged' to take a lateral flow test twice a week and to register their results, even when they are negative. 

All students and staff members who live with someone who has Covid-19 are also being asked to do daily lateral flow tests before going into school, starting from the day their household member either became unwell with Covid-19 or tested positive if they didn't have symptoms, and continue this for 10 days. 

Children who test negative can continue attending school but if a lateral flow test returns a positive result, they must start isolating, have a PCR test and their school must be informed. 

Pupils who develop Covid-19 symptoms should book a PCR test and should remain at home. 

The groups exempt from the advice above are: 

• Any child who cannot tolerate daily testing, for example children aged five years and under, in Key Stage 1, or those with special educational additional needs
• Any child, aged between 5 and 16 years old, who has tested positive for Covid-19 via a PCR test within the past 90 days

In the letter to parents and carers, Debbie Watson, Interim Director of Population Health at Tameside Council, said: "We understand how disappointing and frustrating it is to have to introduce these measures and share these messages again.

"We will shortly be coming into winter, a time when we really need to be keeping people safe and reducing the number of COVID-19 infections. Our aim is to maximise the number of children in face-to-face education or childcare and minimise any disruption in a way that best manages the COVID-19 risk." 

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