Okanagan schools prepare for end of mask mandate

As students in the Okanagan left for spring break on Friday, they were also saying goodbye to the school mask mandate.

The rule requiring students and staff to mask indoors will end when students return from their two-week break.

The school mask mandates are lifting B.C. wide.

It’s part of the province’s general easing of COVID-19 restrictions.

Some parents at a West Kelowna elementary school have mixed feelings about the shift.

“We’ve been told for so long that this is an important health safety measure and then to lose it really suddenly, it’s hard to reconcile how I feel,” said parent Amy Farella.

Farella said she is torn between “protecting children and all the social benefits they get from not having these restrictions.”

Parent Kong Khoo believes it is premature to think that COVID-19 is over with.

“There are a lot of kids who are unvaccinated, who have siblings under five who aren’t eligible for vaccination,” said Khoo.

“I think there are some circumstances and groups where masking should still continue.”

The president of the Central Okanagan Teachers’ Association, Susan Bauhart, said she was surprised by the timing of the mask mandate ending.

“Everything up until this point has been…two weeks after any kind of a break to see if there is any reaction,” said Bauhart.

Bauhart said the mask mandate has been, in some cases, hard for teachers to enforce.

Central Okanagan Public Schools said it is following public health advice and anyone uncomfortable with the change can continue to mask.

“Schools continue to be safe places to be and we will have other measures still in place. We accept students who want to continue to wear masks, or staff, and those who, at this time, feel like they would like to choose not to wear masks,” said Superintendent Kevin Kaardal.

2:14 After a two year hiatus from travelling for most people, Kelowna International Airport is getting busier as demand for air travel grows