It seems not everyone is looking forward to lifting of Ontario’s mask mandates.
The province’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Kieran Moore, announced on Wednesday the majority of mask mandates in public spaces, including schools, would be lifted March 21st, the first day back to class following March Break.
The Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association released a statement, calling the move ill-timed and seemingly motivated by politics rather than science.
“The decision to drop the requirement directly after March Break is especially problematic, given that this is typically a period of travel and associated in the past with increased transmission – including after Premier Ford encouraged families to ‘have fun’ and ‘go away’ for March Break two years ago,” the statement from President Barb Dobrowolski reads.
The Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario has called the lifting of mask mandates a premature move that puts schools at risk of further disruption and jeopardizes the safety of staff and students.
At the high school level, officials with the Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation say the sudden end of masking mandates is troubling, and a “more cautious and evidence-based approach is needed” to avoid any further health restrictions.
“Throughout the pandemic, Ontarians have relied on public health officials to lead with a science- and evidence-based approach. Unfortunately, it appears that a fast-approaching June election is influencing politicians’ decisions to lift COVID-19 safety measures,” says ETFO President Karen Brown. “Lifting the mask mandate too soon may result in further disruption to in-person learning and negative impacts on the health and safety of ETFO members, students, and their families. Ontarians deserve stability and safety, not more chaos.”
Meantime officials with the Lambton Kent District School Board say they are taking some time to review the protocol changes and will follow directions from the Ministry of Education as well as local and provincial health officials.
“Please be assured that we remain committed to supporting the safe operation of schools,” Director of Education John Howitt says in a statement. “We will communicate more specific information as soon as possible regarding the public health directions and updated processes to support the safe return to school on Monday, March 21.”
