As public schools around the US lift Covid-19 mask mandates, parents are divided over the issue, with nearly 43 per cent saying face-covering requirements should remain in place to prevent virus transmission, according to a survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF).

Most parents who responded also expressed concern about the safety and effectiveness of Covid-19 vaccines for children under age five, saying they do not have enough information, according to the KFF survey of 1,502 adults conducted between February 9 and February 21, reports Reuters.

Support for masks in schools has been falling since September, when two-thirds of people and over 60pc of parents favoured some level of mask requirements, KFF said.