STUDENTS in Bury schools are being asked to return to wearing face coverings from Monday after more than 800 coronavirus cases in educational establishments.

After several outbreaks in primary and secondary schools across the borough, education and public health leaders are writing to parents asking secondary school children to wear face coverings when moving around.

Officials are also urging pupils to take regular Covid-19 tests if they live with someone who has tested positive for the virus.

Isobel Booler, the borough's acting executive director of children's services, said: "Everyone wants our schools to get back to normal after such a long period of disruption, and for students to get on with their learning in classrooms without restrictions.

"However, the coronavirus infection rate in Bury is remaining stubbornly high, and since the start of September we have had more than 800 cases among our student population.

"Keeping our children safe is our utmost priority, and we so have reluctantly advised schools to take these measures."

From Monday, secondary school children will have to wear face coverings when moving around school, but not while sitting at their desks, eating or when outside.

Students and staff who live with someone who has Covid-19 are asked to take daily lateral flow tests before coming to school.

They must do this from the day their household member either becomes unwell with Covid-19 or tests positive if they did not have symptoms.

It is recommended that children wear a mask on public transport, and sanitise their hands at the start and end of their journey.

Cllr Tamoor Tariq, cabinet member for children's services, young people and skills, added: "It's essential that our schools are safe environments and that we do all we can to protect our pupils and staff from what is a potentially deadly virus.

"We need to act to reduce the transmission rate in Bury, and I am fully behind the latest call for extra measures and vigilance."

If a child has a positive lateral flow test or starts to develop symptoms, they must must inform school, start isolating and book a PCR test as soon as possible.

Lesley Jones, Bury's director of public health, said: "We strongly encourage parents to support their children to test at home twice a week and to register their results, even when negatives.

"This important testing helps to pick up the infection early, preventing further spread, keeping families, friends and schools protected from Covid-19 and helping to keep children in school.

"We understand how disappointing and frustrating it is to have to introduce these measure and share these messages again.

"But 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."

These measures are set to last four weeks, and will be reviewed on November 1.

To order lateral flow tests for your household, visit https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/testing/.

You log your results at https://www.gov.uk/report-COVID-1919-result.

For further information visit https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/.