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Teacher with mouth and nose protection (symbolic image)
Photo:
Gian Ehrenzeller / dpa
The federal government made around 300,000 masks available to Hamburg schools to protect against infection - but they are now not allowed to be worn in schools.
The state school authority has forbidden the use of the KN95 masks for school staff.
The reason is the inadequate quality standard, according to a letter from the authority to the schools.
A certain anger of the Hamburgers can be heard in this.
As recently as January, the Federal Ministry of Health announced that "these masks had been tested in a multi-stage process."
However, "to our surprise, the federal government has now withdrawn the approval for use as medical masks for the KN95 masks from their own deliveries."
The reason for this was reports of defective individual masks as well as recalls of individual makes and models.
"Therefore, from now on, the KN95 masks supplied by the BSB may no longer be used in school," says the letter from the School and Vocational Training Authority (BSB).
"Until further notice, please only use the (blue-green) surgical masks or otherwise procured KN95, CPA or FFP2 masks in your school from the mask contingent supplied by the school authorities."
In Hamburg, since the end of the holidays on March 12th, all school years have been obliged to wear a medical mask.
Experience has shown that this significantly increases the protection of all those involved, the school authority reports on its website and refers to the high number of infections and the risk of infection by children.
In Hamburg, primary school students and a few other selected age groups are currently being trained in alternating lessons, while others are still in distance learning.
According to the state government, daycare centers and schools should continue to operate in restricted operations even if there is a seven-day incidence of more than 100 new infections per 100,000 inhabitants.
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Fok / dpa