Students in North Tyneside required to wear face masks during lessons when they return
Video report by Tom Barton.
Students in North Tyneside will be asked to wear masks during lessons when they return back to school next week after half-term.
It comes as public health officials are looking at ways of controlling the spread of the virus as Covid cases have increased among school pupils.
Before the break it was only a requirement for students to wear face masks in the corridors - but now the new rules mean that they have to wear one during lessons as well.
14-year-old Jack who attends Churchill Community College in Wallsend said: "It's quite frustrating. It's not very comfortable wearing a mask. I think it's quite long having to wear them all day."
Thousands of parents across the borough received a letter from North Tyneside Council last week informing them of the change.
Jack's mum Heather said: "I understand why they're doing it, but I do think it's a long day for them to sit wearing them.
"I don't like wearing them all day when I go to work. So I'm yeah, I totally understand how he feels."
Listen to ITV's podcast on coronavirus:
The new recommendation for all pupils from Year 7 and up will be introduced when schools return.
In the week before schools broke up for half term, 1400 people in North Tyneside tested positive for Covid - half of those were under the age of 19.
Wendy Burke, North Tyneside's Director of Public Heath, said: "Obviously, we've got half term as a bit of a break, which is great. But while the rates are still high, we thought it was really important to act, and to bring in some additional short term measures into our schools.
"So we've made a number of recommendations, and they are recommendations, to undertake some additional measures to help reduce the infection rate."
Some other parts of the region including Redcar, Northumberland and Gateshead are also recommending schools to re-introduce masks as public health officials try to ensure Covid is kept under control as winter draws nearer.