Students under the age of 12 should not be required to wear facemasks in schools, said the head of the Department of Chest Diseases and Critical Care at the King Hussein Cancer Centre, Firas Al-Hawari, on Roya’s Nabd Albalad on Tuesday.

These children are the least vulnerable to coronavirus and wearing facemasks makes them highly vulnerable to contamination and could increase the chances of contracting the virus.

The World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) had previously advised children aged above 12 to wear facemasks and abide by the same rules as adults.

As for children between the ages of six and 11, the decision to wear facemasks should be based on the following factors, according to the WHO and UNICEF:

• the COVID-19 situation in their neighbourhood,

• the child's ability to use the facemask safely and appropriately,

• the availability of masks, as well as the ability to wash and replace them,

• adult supervision and the provision of instructions on how to wear and remove facemasks safely,

• the potential effects of wearing a facemask on learning and psychosocial development,

• the extent to which children interact with other people who are at risk of serious illness.