Secondary School - First maskless day!

[palacegirl77]

Daughter not long since home from her face day without a face mask. She said it was so strange - she felt like she was missing something all day and that she found it hard to put up her hand and answer questions as she felt weird that people could see her face. Im pleased her school have gone with guidance, the lack of confidence to communicate is concerning. She said none of the teachers wore them at any point (but Im assuming thats their choice, not guidance as the school said if anyone wanted to wear them they could). Going to be another change for them to deal with but lets hope its a change for the better.

DS’s school insisted on them everywhere from September. They have had no cases of Covid at all and no bubbles have popped. The HT said that they are carrying on with wearing them for the foreseeable future. He is in Y11 so only has a couple of weeks left but I’m glad for the rest of the children cause they can hopefully make it to the end of the term.

"Covid spikes in worst UK hotspots driven by rising cases amongst young, analysis shows

Covid-19 rates in the UK’s worst hotspots are being driven by a sharp rise in cases among younger age groups, new analysis by PA Media shows. PA says:

Bolton, Bedford and Blackburn with Darwen are currently recording the highest Covid-19 rates in the UK, with the spread of the Indian variant of coronavirus driving a steep increase in cases.

But in each of the three areas, case rates among younger people are running at a much higher level than those for older age groups, according to analysis of the latest data by PA.

Bolton in Greater Manchester recorded 733 new cases of Covid-19 in the seven days to May 11, the latest data shows.

This is the equivalent of 254.9 cases per 100,000 people - the highest anywhere in the UK and the highest for the area since February 12, up sharply from 99.8 per 100,000 one week earlier.

The rate of new cases among people in Bolton aged 60 and over is just 59.9, however.

This is up only slightly from 35.3 a week earlier.

By contrast, the rate for those aged 10-19 in Bolton currently stands at 486.2 per 100,000, up sharply from 200.7 one week earlier, while for those aged 20-29 the rate has jumped from 147.9 to 310.0.

It means the rate in Bolton among 10-19 year-olds is more than eight times the rate for people 60 and over.

PA says the figures for Bedford, and for Blackburn with Darwen in Lancashire, show a broadly similar pattern."

From the Guardian,

Of course, young people can and are choosing in many cases to keep on with the masks in this situation. Their choice.

DS is a teacher, 25, so a long wait yet for his vaccine. Since the return in March he has worn a mask, in school all day, partly in solidarity with the kids.
He wasn't looking forward to going back today to 30 in a room all day un-masked and unventilated.

Our school is still wearing them, we are neighbours with a hotspot area and many teachers still haven't had the vaccine.

My school had our first maskless day (although I continued to wear mine) at end of day received an email to say masks to be worn at all times from tomorrow in accordance with local PHE recommendations.

@herecomesthsun Interesting stats but a couple of things to consider - more young people will have it than elderly people, because theyre not vaccinated. Thats been the case throughout. The point was to protect the elderly through vaccinated which we are well on the way to doing. More young people are getting tested (twice weekly for many in school). The point isnt now how many are getting it (asymptomatic disease really isnt a problem) - how is this being 'spread' to vulnerable or elderly and the answer there is that it isnt (in any great number) - shown by the stats (not in your figures) on hospital admissions. Ultimately that is the figure we need to look at in spite of every other statistic.

@motherrunner

My school had our first maskless day (although I continued to wear mine) at end of day received an email to say masks to be worn at all times from tomorrow in accordance with local PHE recommendations.

Fair enough if your PH has legislated it. Are you in a hotspot?

[quote palacegirl77]@herecomesthsun Interesting stats but a couple of things to consider - more young people will have it than elderly people, because theyre not vaccinated. Thats been the case throughout. The point was to protect the elderly through vaccinated which we are well on the way to doing. More young people are getting tested (twice weekly for many in school). The point isnt now how many are getting it (asymptomatic disease really isnt a problem) - how is this being 'spread' to vulnerable or elderly and the answer there is that it isnt (in any great number) - shown by the stats (not in your figures) on hospital admissions. Ultimately that is the figure we need to look at in spite of every other statistic.[/quote]
I think the sensible and public spirited kids will keep on with the masks, especially with the new variant.

I think it is reasonable that others who don't feel able to do this aren't required to. But then that has been the case throughout.

No. The local PHE have said it is a ‘precautionary measure’ given the new variant and want to assess cases given the extra mixing which will take place from today.

@motherrunner

No. The local PHE have said it is a ‘precautionary measure’ given the new variant and want to assess cases given the extra mixing which will take place from today.

So over 18s can now go inside pubs, go to sporting events and even on holiday to Portugal if they fancy but the kids still have to wear masks? Something doesnt sit right with me there at all.

By the way, by the time hospitalisations and deaths occur, it is too late to put the genie back in the bottle, as we have seen with the 3 lockdowns we have had so far.

But I realise that the whole exponential growth thing is really hard for some people to take on board, as is the lag time for deaths.

It would be such a shame to have more unnecessary set backs if something so small can help reduce the risks.

I honestly don’t think children who aren’t wearing masks are not sensible or lacking public spirit and it’s a bit mean to suggest they are.

Common sense suggests that now, while we open so much up and wait to see the effects, is the time to wear masks... to mitigate spread whilst checking we’re in the right course.

I agree with here comes the sun. Good points

DDs secondary school has said wearing masks is optional for now (not in a hotspot), she's just got home and said most weren't wearing them but she will continue to wear hers. They were wearing them on the buses though.

@palacegirl77 But in all other indoors spaces people have to wear masks so pupils aren’t being treated any differently.

Something doesnt sit right with me there at all.

Yes, it's illogical.

However, that's not unusual for the Government.

To be fair, it is a really complicated situation that they are managing.

For example, the position on amber list countries is illogical as well.

Also from the Guardian:

"Downing Street has urged Britons not to take holidays in so-called amber list countries including France and Spain, but declined to explain why it remains legal for people to do so.

Boris Johnson’s spokesperson said the advice was that people should not travel to these destinations for leisure, but did not say why travel companies were being permitted to sell holidays to them.

“Our advice is that no one should be travelling to amber list countries, in the interests of public health,” he said when asked why amber list holidays were on sale. “There may be unavoidable, essential reasons for people to travel to amber list countries.” "

@herecomesthsun

By the way, by the time hospitalisations and deaths occur, it is too late to put the genie back in the bottle, as we have seen with the 3 lockdowns we have had so far.

But I realise that the whole exponential growth thing is really hard for some people to take on board, as is the lag time for deaths.

It would be such a shame to have more unnecessary set backs if something so small can help reduce the risks.

By that reckoning we will never be in a place where we can get back to any form of normality. If we are constantly counting cases on the basis that they might end up in hospital we might as well give up now!

The only way that could work would be to go for a zero covid approach - which we clearly havent gone for and wont because of being a multicultural island that needs to trade worldwide.

The cases still continue to fall in terms of hospitalisations. Even accounting for a rise do you honestly believe this would be because children dont wear masks? Personally I don't but each to their own.

I'm really pleased that our school is applying common sense and keeping the masks for now. The kids are all used to them, so it's no big deal, and it makes sense to minimise the risk.

A sensible decision!

@Babymeanswashing

I honestly don’t think children who aren’t wearing masks are not sensible or lacking public spirit and it’s a bit mean to suggest they are.

I think that kids who are wearing masks are being sensible.

I refrain from judging the others as it's kinder and also we don't know what else is going on for them.

And of course the guidance has been consistently confusing.

[quote motherrunner]@palacegirl77 But in all other indoors spaces people have to wear masks so pupils aren’t being treated any differently.[/quote]
Why arent the kids in marquees then? Why are they still being taught indoors?

I picked my daughter up early from school today - the 4 office staff behind reception werent wearing masks. How is that ok but children (children) should be?

Yes, I'm pleased that my son's school - and many others - are continuing. The guidance on wearing masks indoors hasn't been relaxed anywhere else, so that's the bit which doesn't sit right about removing them, to me.

@paralysedbyinertia

I'm really pleased that our school is applying common sense and keeping the masks for now. The kids are all used to them, so it's no big deal, and it makes sense to minimise the risk.

A sensible decision!

Common sense during a pandemic would surely mean no kids should be in school at all? Would you be happy if your school decided that common sense suggests they should all learn from home?

@Barbie222

Yes, I'm pleased that my son's school - and many others - are continuing. The guidance on wearing masks indoors hasn't been relaxed anywhere else, so that's the bit which doesn't sit right about removing them, to me.

Apart from in each others homes - where we can gather from 6 households now, in much closer contact, with no suggestion from anywhere that we should wear masks. Can you see the contradictions being played out?

@palacegirl77 I didn't say we shouldn't get back to normality ever.

But I do think that if kids are squashed into tiny classrooms, and we have the new variant seeding itself in schools, and especially rising in 10-19 year olds, then they are better advised to keep the masks for a bit longer, till we can see where this is going.

Can you see the contradictions being played out?
Unless we have 6 people per school, no I can't. I think the schools on this thread are right to be cautious, until such time as social distancing requirements are removed indoors.