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The Ontario government has denied a request from the Toronto District School Board to keep the masking rule in classrooms when students return to school from March break.
On March 11th, Toronto District School Board (TDSB) chair Alexander Brown wrote a letter to Ontario chief medical officer Dr. Kieran Moore to request additional time to adjust health measures in schools, after he announced that Ontario would be lifting the mask mandate in most public settings including schools on March 21st.
“To remove such measures like masking, distancing, cohorting, and daily screening protections at the same time would go against our multiple layer approach to protecting our school communities from the spread of COVID-19,” Brown said in his letter, which was also addressed Education Minister Stephen Lecce and Medical Officer of Health Dr. Eileen de Villa.
Brown went on to cite the board’s duty to “serve students and staff that are immune-compromised, medically-fragile and at higher risk of having complications from COVID-19,” while also pointing out that vaccination rates are lower among students aged 5-11, and noting that students under 5 are ineligible for vaccination.
Responding to the letter, Moore stated that “the peak of Omicron” had passed with the result that many public health measures can be lifted.
“As we continue on this path, we are able to take a more balanced and longer-term approach to the province’s pandemic response, including in Ontario schools, by removing many of the emergency measures that have been in place over the past two years,” he wrote in a letter dated March 17th.
The Epoch Times has more details of Moore’s letter, writing:
He noted that many health measures remain in place to protect students and staff who are required to continue self-screening each day before attending school or child care, and that those who are ill are asked to stay home. The government will also continue to upgrade screening tools and ventilation in schools as well as providing rapid antigen tests and free personal protective equipment to staff and students.
In a press release issued March 17th, the Toronto District School Board encouraged its students and staff to “respect the individual choices” to keep wearing masks, despite it no longer being mandated.
At least one school board has announced that it plans to maintain a mask rule for students and staff for a “two-week transition period” until April 1st.
The Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board said in a press release on March 17th that the two-week period is meant to mitigate spread of COVID after the March break and allow students who do not wish to return to a school without public health restrictions to shift to remote learning.
“We understand that some families may be feeling anxious ahead of Monday’s return to school and recognize the divisive opinions surrounding the mask requirements,” the board said.
Students not wearing a mask when they return will be reminded of the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board’s direction, but will be allowed an exemption. All student mask exemptions that were previously submitted will be honored, while any parents who want to apply for an exemption for their children will need to complete a new form before March 21st.
