Mandatory use of face masks by school children (FOI)

Request

Has a risk assessment been compiled in regard to the mandatory wearing of face coverings by school children and if so where can this be accessed?

Response

The use of mouth and nose coverings by school children in education settings is an internal CYPES policy and is not mandated under law.

The decision to introduce mouth and nose coverings in schools was based on the wider evidence and guidance on mouth nose coverings within the community. This included advice from a range of local experts rather than a dedicated risk assessment taking place. This is normal procedure for policy decisions as formal risk assessments tend to be used for operational risks.

As part of the ongoing review of mouth and nose coverings a recent decision has been made to relax the use of mouth and nose coverings in schools, colleges, and early years’ settings due to the sustained low number of active cases in the island. Further details can be found in the following link:

Updated COVID-19 guidance for schools, colleges and early years settings

The use of mouth and nose coverings by school children (over the age of 12) in certain settings (such as retail, public transport, libraries / museums, and so on) remains mandatory under the Covid-19 Workplace Restrictions.

A similar FOI has been made previously regarding a risk assessment, details of which and the response can be found in the following link:

Risk assessment for face coverings (FOI)