| Good afternoon, Six months ago it would have been hard to imagine that the wearing of face masks could become such a common sight in Northern Ireland. With preparations now being made for children and teachers to return to the classroom, it is inevitable that the ongoing debate on face coverings should extend to whether they also should be mandatory in the school setting. While it is expected that the Department of Education will publish guidance to schools later this week, it emerged today that Belfast Royal Academy has said that their pupils, staff and visitors must wear face masks when they return for the new term. Meanwhile, another 48 people in Northern Ireland have tested positive for coronavirus in the past 24 hours, according to the Department of Health. Once again this increasing number of cases is a cause for concern and highlights the continuing threat from Covid-19 and how important it is for everyone to play their part in tackling it. Keep safe, Valerie Martin Head of Content Want total access to all of our online content? You can subscribe to our website, newsletter.co.uk for just £1 a month for 3 months - and it couldn't be easier.
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