Coronavirus: Schools

(asked on 9th March 2021) - View Source

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his Departments operational guidance Schools coronavirus (COVID-19) dated February 2021, who undertook the research or evidence gathering regarding the effectiveness or safety of transparent face coverings; and whether that research or evidence gathering was specific to educational settings.


Answered by
Jo Churchill Portrait
Jo Churchill
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
This question was answered on 14th April 2021

The Department for Education’s ‘Schools coronavirus (COVID-19) operational guidance’, sets out the educational settings in which face coverings should be worn. Their guidance states that transparent face coverings may also be worn as an alternative to cloth face coverings.

The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) and Public Health England (PHE) regularly monitor and review the international evidence on the effectiveness of face coverings. Their most recent consideration of the science around face coverings was concluded in January. Copies of the rapid reviews undertaken by PHE ‘Face coverings in the community and COVID-19: a rapid review’ and ‘Face coverings in the community and COVID-19 A rapid review (update 1)’ are attached. Both reviews contain references to the scientific literature as part of the study.

Although the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control suggest that transparent face coverings would be expected to work similarly to other non-medical face coverings if properly fitted, there is currently limited evidence regarding their effectiveness or safety but along with other measures such as social distancing and good hand hygiene, they may help reduce the spread of COVID-19. There is a stronger evidence base for the use of fabric face coverings in reducing the respiratory particles emitted from the mouth and nose of someone who is infected. SAGE has advised that using a cloth face covering is an important mitigation.

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