Schools’ mask-use policy called ‘not good enough’

Advocacy group says distancing is difficult with larger class sizes

With the announcement last week from the province that schools will be opening in the fall, parents, teachers and politicians have been voicing concerns that one piece of the puzzle is missing: masks.

When school resumes, Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Alberta’s chief medical officer of health, said it will be up to students and staff whether to wear a mask in class.

Without set rules on mask-wearing or caps on class sizes, family physician and mask advocate Dr. Amy Tan said she worries it could create a dangerous situation in September.

“With the larger class sizes that we seem to be trending toward nationally, unless purposeful physical distancing is going to be able to be achieved — and they are just saying do your best with physical distancing — then masks should be mandatory,” Tan said.

“If you can’t be purposeful with your physical distancing and you’re just waiting for serendipity to happen, that’s not good enough, we need to actually be proactive in mitigating these risks.”

Tan is among dozens of healthcare professionals, teachers, students, business leaders and parents from across the country who came together to form Masks4canada, a volunteer-led, non-profit advocacy group that aims to raise awareness and petition for mandatory mask use in Canada.

The decision by Calgary council last week to mandate mask-wearing in all indoor public spaces starting Aug. 1 was welcomed by many, including Tan, who said the group was “thrilled.”

“The mask mandate, similar to what we’re pushing for and what we’re advocating for in the cities and in the municipalities, is if we get 80 per cent, the large majority, to be masking, then it normalizes it for everyone else,” she said.

Normalizing mask-wearing for children is a key part of the process, Tan said, adding that regardless of age, having discussions about the importance of wearing masks is vital.

“Ways to get a (young) child involved would be for them to pick a pattern they like … Later on, when they’re five or six, practice putting the mask on (at home) and how to do that properly and then really just say there’s this invisible bug or virus that we don’t want and we don’t want to give to other people, so right now we have to wear a mask.”

For older children, Tan said it’s important to foster their independence by helping them understand how to safely wash their hands before and after putting on a mask, and how to wear a mask properly.

“More people in masks is probably going to make it more comfortable and easier for others to mask, so that’s why we’re asking for it to be mandatory in schools, as well, because it is a poorly ventilated space,” Tan said.

On Thursday, the City of Edmonton also made the move to require masks in all city-owned buildings and on transit effective Aug. 1.

As within Calgary, there are exceptions for children under the age of two, for those with underlying medical conditions, and while eating, drinking or engaging in physical activity. Edmonton’s council will decide this week whether to expand the bylaw to include all publicly accessible places, even if they are privately owned.

The UCP government has not mandated the use of masks in public spaces, instead opting to strongly encourage Albertans to wear masks by appealing to their sense of community spirit and responsibility.

Active cases of COVID-19 have steadily increased since the province started Stage 2 of the provincial relaunch strategy mid-june.

An average of 100 cases per day have been reported since July 15, the first time Alberta’s active cases reached more than 100 since May 2.

Alberta had 1,341 active cases as of Thursday, 703 of which are in the Calgary zone.

In a news conference last week, Dr. Deena Henshaw said that even though the province would not mandate mask-wearing in schools at this point, students and staff should be supported if they choose to wear masks in the classroom.

On Thursday, she went further, adding that “as a physician and as a parent myself, I encourage all parents across Alberta to include reusable cloth masks on their backto-school shopping lists this year.”

Tan said respect for people, whether they wear a mask or not, must be a priority for the community.

“I really am advocating for kindness all around,” she said. “And masking is a sign of kindness and respect if you can do it. If you can’t do it, you should be also afforded the same kindness and respect, and everybody has a story and are dealing with something.”

For everyone, Tan said finding a mask that fits well, doesn’t slide off the nose or fog up glasses will help in becoming comfortable.

“We absolutely want schools open for the economy, for parents to be able to go back to work, for children and their development ... These are all reasons to go back to school, but we need to be purposeful and proactive about trying to do everything we can to make it as safe as possible.”

I really am advocating for kindness all around. And masking is a sign of kindness and respect if you can do it.