As students get ready to go back to school in September, families are putting a new item on their shopping list this year.
“Yesterday I picked up 100 masks — two boxes,” said Manitoba resident Tawny Landon. “They’re the non-surgical type of masks. And how long they’re going to last depends on how many days they’re going to go to school.”
The Manitoba government unveiled its coronavirus pandemic response plan on Wednesday. At that same time, Premier Brian Pallister announced face masks will be mandatory for all students in Grades 4 through 12, where physical distancing cannot be observed.
“I’m really happy about it,” Landon said about buying masks for her family. “The fact is that even though Paytin and Cortez are in school, we’re sitting there with them. Whatever they get, they’re going to bring home. And it’s not just us, it’s for everybody.”
Landon’s daughter and her two grandchildren are currently living with her. Her granddaughter is entering Grade 9 and her grandson is starting Grade 6 in the fall.
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“I still have a few concerns about it with respect to kids wearing a mask for a long period of time,” Landon said. “Could be five, could be six hours.”
Emerging and re-emerging viruses specialist Dr. Jason Kindrachuk says schools will have to look at creating safe spaces for students to have “mask breaks.”
“Where is their best-ventilated area to be able to have people in limited cohorts so that they’re not removing that social distance component?” Kindrachuk explained. “But while it’s still the summertime and the fall time, the best place we can take breaks is outside.”
Kindrachuk is advising students to pack at least two masks with them each day.
“As soon as I touch the front of the mask or I touch the inside of the mask, consider it done, consider it contaminated,” Kindrachuk said. “Don’t risk it, switch over to a new mask.”
Kindrachuk notes people can store their masks in a resealable bag or container to reuse later or to take home to wash.
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