Masks or no masks for the return of school in B.C.?
Once again, there's a push for children to wear masks in schools as the COVID-19 immunization rate for younger kids lags behind the rest of the population.
Jennifer Heighton with Safe Schools Coalition B.C. says the group is hearing from parents concerned that masks will be optional in the upcoming school year.
B.C. hasn't required masks in classrooms since after spring break, and the province insists transmission is low. The coalition is calling for universal mask protections, noting recent high rates of infection.
"If they're wearing a mask – and maybe they don't know (they're sick) yet, the symptoms haven't shown up – if they have a mask, then they're not breathing it out into the air," said Heighton.
CTV News asked Health Minister Adrian Dix about whether parents could expect a return to mask-wearing. He said new guidelines for schools were in the works, but suggested the province would take a status quo approach.
"We've moved from system of rules to a system of guidance," he said. "I don't think you're going to see a change in the approach we've taken in recent times."
The B.C. Teachers Federation had a look at draft safety guidelines for the return of school on Thursday. The union isn’t calling for a mask mandate, but rather, accessibility, according to president Clint Johnston.
"Our position is that N95 masks (are) available for those who would like them, but that they're readily available and nobody's having to provide their own to feel safe, comfortable at school,” said Johnston.
He added teachers were cautious, but excited for a school year that will look more like those before COVID-19. Johnston noted teachers want to see frequent cleaning and better ventilation as part of the guidelines.
For Heighton, another concern is the frequency of reinfections. She questioned what that could mean in the long term.
"Are you opening the door to more of that long-term damage down the road? Do we really know enough about this virus to predict that it's going to be benign?" Heighton said.
The health minister says more than half of kids aged 5 to 11 have one dose of vaccine. A significant number don't have a second shot. Those aged six months to five years have a vaccination rate of just eight per cent.
What could be a bigger concern is when COVID-19 cases collide with respiratory illness season.
Dix said health officials were meeting to plan for that period: November, December and January.
Heighton and other parents say aside from a mask mandate, they also want to see more work done to improve ventilation in schools.
The Education Ministry did not respond to CTV’s request for comment.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
World seeing near breakdown of international law amid wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Amnesty says
The world is seeing a near breakdown of international law amid flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiplying armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism and huge rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar, Amnesty International warned Wednesday as it published its annual report.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
U.S. Senate passes bill forcing TikTok's parent company to sell or face ban, sends to Biden for signature
The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that's expected to face legal challenges.
Wildfire southwest of Peace River spurs evacuation order
People living near a wildfire burning about 15 kilometres southwest of Peace River are being told to evacuate their homes.
U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan with big bipartisan vote
The U.S. Senate has passed US$95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden after months of delays and contentious debate over how involved the United States should be in foreign wars.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.