Greece battles virus resurgence; UK says masks must in schools

Jewish religious school students study separated by plastic cells in Sdreot. Israel has over 92,000 COVID cases and 700 deaths. Pic/AFP

The UK government has made face coverings compulsory for staff and pupils aged 12 and above in secondary schools in areas subject to local lockdowns to control the spread of coronavirus.

In a U-turn after mandatory face masks had been ruled out, the Department for Education said that as schools in England prepare to reopen for the new term in the coming weeks, it is updating its advice on face coverings in schools in line with the World Health Organisation (WHO) guidance on face masks.

WHO now advises that "children aged 12 and above should wear a mask under the same conditions as adults, in particular when they cannot guarantee at least a one-metre distance from others and there is widespread transmission in the area." "Our priority is to get children back to school safely. At each stage we have listened to the latest medical and scientific advice," said UK education secretary Gavin Williamson.

Meanwhile, Greece is offering free on-the-spot tests and conducting temperature checks at its main port of Piraeus for travellers returning from Greek islands where outbreaks have occurred is the latest in an arsenal of measures authorities are using to tackle a resurgence of COVID-19 in a country that has so far managed to dodge the worst of the pandemic.

As of Tuesday, total cases stood at just under 9,000, with 243 deaths and 31 people intubated in ICUs. But Greece's new cases have been spiralling in recent weeks, reaching a record 284 on Sunday.

Amid rising cases, South Korea urges docs to end strike

Health officials in South Korea called on thousands of striking doctors to return to work as the country counted its 13th straight day of triple-digit daily jumps in coronavirus cases.

Health Minister Park Neung-hoo cited the growing virus crisis while issuing back-to-work orders for doctors in the greater capital area who had joined physicians in other parts of the country for a three-day strike starting Wednesday to protest government plans to boost the number of medical students.

Doctors' groups say such measures would worsen what's already a cut-throat market. South Korea's Centres for Diseases Control and Prevention reported 320 newly cases of COVID-19, including 237 from Seoul.

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