STUDENTS MUST MASK UP IN HIGH-TRAFFIC AREAS,
All staff and students in B.C. middle and secondary schools will be required to wear masks in high-traffic areas, according to guidelines released Monday.
In a prepared statement, the Ministry of Education said that it wanted a consistent provincewide approach to mask wearing in B.C. schools during the COVID -19 pandemic.
All staff, middle and secondary students in high-traffic areas — like buses, hallways or anytime outside of their learning group or where physical distancing can’t be maintained — will have to wear a non-medical mask.
Exceptions will be made for students who cannot wear masks for medical reasons.
“Even when wearing a mask, staff and students will still be required to maintain physical distance from people outside of their learning group,” the ministry stated.
Learning groups will remain together for the school year, with a cap of 60 students in elementary and middle schools and 120 in secondary schools. These may be combinations of classes. Details of the learning groups will be revealed to parents on Aug. 26.
“Efforts will be put in place to ensure there is not crowding, gathering or congregating of people from different learning groups in a school setting, even if non-medical masks are being worn,” the ministry stated. “Schools will also ensure non-medical masks are available for staff if someone should become ill while at school.”
Deputy provincial health officer Dr. Réka Gustafson said she was not concerned that students would not be forced to wear masks while in class.
“We know that transmission from children to adults is uncommon. We know that adults in schools are not at higher risk of COVID than in the community. We also know that schools are part of the community, and therefore reflect COVID-19 transmission,” Gustafson said.
“It’s really, really important, and we are here to support schools to get children back into education. And we have a lot of reassuring data from around the world that is telling us that it is actually possible to safely do so.”
Gustafson added that at this point substitute teachers would be permitted to work at different locations.
“I have heard conversations about considering limiting the number of schools that a substitute teacher, or a temporary teacher attends,” she said. “At this point, I would say that we don’t have a risk indication that would support that. But I can tell you that we will work with our school boards to make sure that any identified risk is addressed through the safety plan.”
The ministry also announced extra funding to buy 1.5 million masks, guaranteeing two masks for every public-school staff member and student.
The government had already committed $45.6 million to school districts for enhanced cleaning, handwashing stations and reusable masks. This is on top of 54,500 face shields being donated to K-12 schools in B.C. by Ontario personal protective equipment maker Canadian Shield.