Masks to be mandatory at times in B.C. middle and secondary schools

Staff and students at middle and secondary schools in British Columbia will be required to wear masks on buses and in common areas when classes resume.

The provincial government said Monday that masks will also be required whenever students and teachers are outside their learning groups and cannot maintain an appropriate physical distance because of COVID19.

Students who can’t wear masks for medical reasons will be exempt from the updated health and safety guidelines.

Even when wearing masks, staff and students will still have to maintain a physical distance from people outside of their learning groups, the province said.

Learning groups are made up of students and staff who remain together through a school quarter, semester or year. They were established on the advice of the provincial health officer to help prevent the transmission of COVID-19 and could be made up of a single class of students or multiple classes.

Réka Gustafson, B.C.’s deputy provincial health officer, said masks are “quite low are the hierachy” of protections for COVID-19.

“That’s why they are limited to brief periods of time when other control methods cannot be used.”

She said the most effective way to prevent transmission of the virus is for people to stay home when they are sick. “We know we can add an important additional layer of protection by keeping our groups small, which is what the learning groups are about.”

The use of masks will be evaluated to make sure students and children are able to use them safely and determine whether they prove beneficial, Gustafson said.

The government said would provide additional funding to schools to help pay for the purchase of up to 1.5 million non-medical masks. It said the funding would provide for at least two masks for every staff member and student at the province’s public schools.

The mask requirement was part of updated guidelines for schools released by the province on Monday.

In addition to the updated guidelines on the use of masks, the government said it is increasing the cleaning of such things as doorknobs, keyboards, desks and chairs.

As well, students, staff and visitors will be required to clean their hands before boarding school buses or entering schools. Hands will also have to be cleaned before and after eating, when using washrooms and using playground equipment.

Sooke superintendent Scott Stinson said the school district welcomes the additional direction.

“As a district, we are appreciative that the ministry is responding to and reflecting the concerns of the community,” he said. “Having greater clarity on when and where masks will be most beneficial is helpful for our planning and work.”

Students are scheduled to return to class on Sept. 10.

School districts have until Friday to submit their restart plans to the ministry for approval. They will be reviewed before the districts share the details with families on Aug. 26.

The Cowichan Valley school district said it has made progress in preparing for the return of students and will have its teachers in place Sept. 8 for a series of planning days.

The planning days will allow staff to meet with their school-based health and safety teams, finalize planning for the year, and adjust to the enhanced health and safety procedures before students return, the district said.

“We are carefully and thoughtfully working our way toward a localized return-to-school plan that will help all students and staff have a safe and productive school year,” said Candace Spilsbury, chair of the board of education for the school district.

“Schools are safe places — by following the updated health and safety guidelines from the Ministry of Education and provincial health officer, we can ensure they will stay that way.”