The Manitoba government says face masks will be “strongly recommended” but not mandatory for students and staff returning to school amid the novel coronavirus pandemic this fall.
The province’s education minister and chief medical officer of health released further details on plans for students to return to the classroom Thursday, as 25 new lab-confirmed and probable cases of the virus were reported across the province.
The province has previously said schools will reopen on Sept. 8 — with teachers and staff returning Sept. 2 to get ready.
“The safety and health of students and staff, and their families, are the priority as Manitoba returns to in-class learning,” Education Minister Kelvin Goertzen said Thursday.
Under the practice guidance and protocols unveiled Thursday students in Grades 5-12, as well as staff and others in schools, are recommended to wear non-medical masks in common areas and where physical distancing isn’t possible.
The province says younger students can also use non-medical masks if they or their parents or caregivers choose, but masks should not be worn by anyone who is unable to remove them without help or by anyone with breathing difficulties.
All students Grade 5 and up, and bus drivers, will be required to wear masks on school buses.
The province says it will provide masks as well as other personal protective equipment to school divisions to handout to students and staff.
Manitoba’s chief public health officer, Dr. Brent Roussin, said the province’s protocols for back to school are fully consistent with provincial Public Health and Health Canada guidance.
“Public Health officials worked closely with Manitoba Education and are confident this plan balances the safety of students with the importance of returning to classroom learning,” said Roussin, in a release.
“As always, the simplest and most effective prevention measures are staying home when sick, practising proper hand hygiene, covering your cough, and not sharing items with others.”
Should a case of COVID-19 occur at a school, Roussin said public health will work closely with school administers to identify close contacts and advise them to self-isolate.
The areas of a school where exposures took place will be cleaned and disinfected, and these areas will not be used until it is determined safe to do so, the province said.
Roussin said school communities will be notified when a student at their school tests positive for the virus, once close contacts have been identified.
He said a closure of a school will be “a last resort” and done only with evidence of transmission among multiple groups of students or staff.
Under the new rules there will be no more spares for high school students and school start and end times will be staggered, the province said. Sharing of food, water bottles, and school supplies won’t be allowed, and cafeterias will not be serving food as normal.
There will also be no plush toys or sensory play, and officials said modelling clay, indoor sand, and sensory tables won’t be allowed this school year.
The province says all students are expected to participate and a doctor’s note will be required to say a child is immunocompromised.
Families that can’t afford students learning from home will be given school access and loaned out laptops so they can work from home, officials said.
The province says school divisions will post their individual plans for reopening during the week of Aug. 17 and the plans will be linked to the Manitoba Education website.
‘It makes no sense’
Manitoba Teachers’ Society vice-president, Nathan Martindale, said the province’s plan doesn’t go far enough and masks should be mandatory.
“It makes no sense that masks are required for the bus ride to school and then the students can take them off once they are at school.”
Educators are also very concerned about class sizes and the number of available substitute teachers, he added. The society is calling for a gradual return of students to schools and access to rapid testing for teachers.
“We are looking for the government to step up,” Martindale said.
The Opposition New Democrats also called for mandatory masks in schools. NDP Leader Wab Kinew said the Progressive Conservative government should hire more teachers to tackle the issue of class sizes.
Parents are also being asked to screen their children for COVID-19 symptoms every morning and keep them home if they aren’t feeling well.
Physical distancing will be enforced at school with groups using different entrances, one-way marked hallways and space between desks and tables.
Roussin said officials have to prepare for infections within schools.
“The idea is to not require the closure of an entire school should we start to see cases,” Roussin said.
Roussin added that a mandatory mask rule isn’t off the table.
Back to class first announced last month
Late last month Goertzen announced plans to have all Manitoba students return to an actual classroom in September.
At a July 30 press conference, the minister said classroom learning will be full-time for students in Kindergarten through Grade 8 and for special-needs students in all grades, with five days of instruction per week.
The province also said remote learning may be required for students in grades 9 to 12, depending on whether or not their high schools are able to implement necessary public health measures, including physical distancing.
Otherwise, high schools will be allowed to offer as few as two days of in-class instruction in each six-day school cycle.
Under the preliminary plans, the province said students and school staff would not be required to masks, but Goertzen said schools will be asked to ensure students are two metres apart as much as possible. There will also be increased screening of visitors and more cleaning of surfaces.
There will be no limit on class sizes; instead, Goertzen said schools will rely on the use of cohorts — groups of up to 75 students.
Lunch and recess breaks are to be staggered to minimize congestion, and in many cases teachers will change classrooms instead of students.
Buses will be running at reduced capacity, and parents will be asked to transport their children to school if they can.
There will also be no field trips, assemblies or out-of-province travel for students, Goertzen added at last month’s announcement.
The 25 new COVID-19 cases reported in Manitoba Thursday bring the province’s total number of cases since March to 603. A provincewide state of emergency was also extended Wednesday, for the fifth time, for another 30 days.
As of Thursday, Manitoba had 218 active known cases, with seven people in hospital, including three who are in intensive care with the virus. Eight Manitobans have died from COVID-19 since the first case was reported in the province in March and 377 have recovered.
After going for nearly the first half of July with no new cases reported in Manitoba, the province has since seen an uptick in positive tests.
Since Goertzen announced the back-to-school plans on July 30, health officials have reported 194 new cases of the virus across the province.
–With files from The Canadian Press
Questions about COVID-19? Here are some things you need to know:
Symptoms can include fever, cough and difficulty breathing — very similar to a cold or flu. Some people can develop a more severe illness. People most at risk of this include older adults and people with severe chronic medical conditions like heart, lung or kidney disease. If you develop symptoms, contact public health authorities.
To prevent the virus from spreading, experts recommend frequent handwashing and coughing into your sleeve. They also recommend minimizing contact with others, staying home as much as possible and maintaining a distance of two metres from other people if you go out. In situations where you can’t keep a safe distance from others, public health officials recommend the use of a non-medical face mask or covering to prevent spreading the respiratory droplets that can carry the virus. In some provinces and municipalities across the country, masks or face coverings are now mandatory in indoor public spaces.
For full COVID-19 coverage from Global News, click here.
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