Face coverings to be brought in for secondary schools on 'limited' basis

She said education secretary John Swinney was in the final stage of consulting with unions and councils on the matter.

It follows the World Health Organisation recommending face coverings in schools for over 12s at the weekend.

The change is expected to be agreed at today’s Education Recovery Group, with detailed guidance issued tomorrow.

Ms Sturgeon said: "I can confirm that the Education Secretary is in the final stages of consulting with teachers and local authorities on a recommendation for the use of face coverings by staff and pupils in secondary schools, when they are moving around in corridors and communal areas.

"We are consulting on this specific measure because mixing between different groups is more likely in corridors and communal areas - increasing the potential for transmission.

"Crowding and close contact in these areas is more likely, and voices could be raised - resulting in greater potential for creating aerosol transmission.

"And finally, there is often less scope for effective ventilation in these areas.

"So this is a position, of we conclude it as we expect to do, that would reflect - and actually go slightly beyond - current WHO guidance.

"We are also considering the position on school transport and we will set out our conclusion in next few days.

"We are not currently consulting on any proposals to wear face coverings in the classroom.

"That is because there is greater scope for physical distancing in the classroom, and face coverings are more likely to interfere with teaching.

I would emphasise, however, that where there are outbreaks, it remains an option for Incident Management Teams to recommend more extensive use of face coverings if they believe in a particular area that is required for a period to protect public health and reduce the risk of transmission."

READ MORE: Face coverings in schools and Aberdeen lockdown: Key points from today's Covid-19 briefing

James Gillespie High School in Edinburgh, Grantown Grammar School in Grantown on Spey and Millburn Academy in Inverness have independently said masks need to be worn between classes.

As the daily briefing, Ms Sturgeon also announced another 66 positive cases of coronavirus overnight, 14 in NHS Tayside, 17 in NHS Lanarkshire, 15 in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and five in NHS Grampian.

There were no deaths overnight.

Scotland’s largest teaching union welcomed the move on face coverings.

EIS General Secretary Larry Flanagan said: “The EIS continues to believe that effective physical distancing is the best means of reducing the risk of COVID-19 spread in schools. 

“We are continuing to press the Scottish Government  for more staff and smaller classes to achieve this. We note the WHO advice on face coverings for those aged 12 and over, where 1m distancing can't be maintained.  

“In situations where physical distancing is difficult, for example in busy corridors when pupils are moving between classes, use of face coverings becomes more important and we welcome the current Scottish Government consultation on this issue." 

However the Us for Them parents group warned against mandatory face coverings in schools.

Jo Bisset, organiser for Us for Them Scotland, said: "Everyone appreciates the health and safety of pupils and teachers has to be a priority.

“But forcing children to wear masks when there’s little, if any, scientific evidence to support such a move could be hugely damaging.

“It could have an extremely negative impact on pupils with autism, hearing impairments and conditions such as asthma.

“We also have to consider those children from unstable households who simply won’t be sent to school with any mask, let alone one that is safe and effective.

“Parents want to get their children back to school and for that experience to be as normal as it possibly can be.

“Forced wearing of masks in the classroom, or when moving about the building, would not achieve any sense of normality for children who’ve endured quite enough in recent months.

“Parents want the Scottish Government and councils to rule out this move now so they can get on with assisting their children back into the school routine.”

READ MORE: Huge Covid-19 outbreak at Scots school as 17 staff and three pupils test positive for virus

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie said: “This change of policy is the right thing to do and will provide an extra barrier of protection from the virus and reassurance to staff, pupils and parents.  

“The reality on the ground in Scotland’s schools was outpacing the government’s policy and with the World Health Organisation recommending face coverings between classes and in other parts of the school estate this move is the right one.” 

Green MSP Ross Greer said: “I am pleased that the Scottish Government is finally moving to encourage the wearing of face coverings in schools.

"The Greens first proposed this in June and consistently pressed the Government over the summer to strengthen their guidance, including last week at First Minister’s Questions.

“There is clear evidence that face coverings significantly reduce transmission of the virus, so it is disappointing that it’s taken the government so long to hear teachers’ concerns, rather than make this inevitable change before schools reopened.

“I am confused as to why the First Minister thinks masks should be worn in corridors but not classrooms though.

"She can’t have spent much time in high schools recently if she thinks social distancing is going on in classes of twenty to thirty teenagers when the classrooms are no bigger than they were in March.”