Concerns, warnings linger as school mask mandates fall away

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This article was published 14/03/2022 (1304 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Education leaders are urging students, teachers and community members to be understanding of each others’ personal choices, as masks become recommended rather than required in schools and across society.

For some Manitobans, the end of all public health orders March 15, including a mandate face coverings be worn at indoor public facilities and people who have tested positive for COVID-19 temporarily self-isolate, could not come sooner.

For others, the changes are premature amid an ongoing pandemic.

“I lean toward proactive approaches, not reactive, so it’s not easy to think of any good reason not to wear a mask at this time — particularly in schools where vaccination rates are less than that in the general population,” said Andrew Halayko, a professor who studies pulmonary health at the University of Manitoba.

Citing the fact Manitoba is in a period of uncertainty with respect to the pandemic’s next direction, Halayko called the latest changes “an unnecessary risk.”

As far as the Manitoba School Boards Association’s president is concerned, however, there is reason to feel “cautious optimism.”

“We’ll start to see a transition of local public schools, in a safe and gradual way, moving back to that central hub role of the community that they enjoyed and frankly, were needed as pre-pandemic,” said Alan Campbell, who represents 37 public school boards.

Campbell said community access to schools, in-person parent-teacher interviews, and in-person attendance to school functions are all on the horizon after two years of disruptions.

Boards with classrooms located in and around the Manitoba capital, including Winnipeg, Pembina Trails, River East Transcona, Seven Oaks, Louis Riel, St. James-Assiniboia, Seine River and the Division scolaire franco-manitobaine, have all released letters about the end of their respective mandates in recent days.

Trustees and superintendents have outlined imminent adjustments, for example: the phasing out of physical distancing and cohorting, and called on their respective communities to be compassionate during the transition period.

“I understand that many feel these changes may have been made too soon and so, what I’ve said to the community is we will continue to monitor the situation closely and carefully, and that is what we’re doing,” said Christian Michalik, who oversees LRSD in southeast Winnipeg.

The superintendent said LRSD has always followed public health’s lead. The board has been proactive in the past to implement policies it knew were coming down the line from the province, Michalik added.

Per the province, divisions and independent schools considering maintaining a mandate were asked to engage with the education department before March 15, and only one undisclosed division of 37 is continuing its mandate until April 21.

LRSD is among those who are “strongly recommending” face coverings in its facilities for the foreseeable future.

The president of Doctors Manitoba made a similar plea last week, at a news conference during which he compared sending a student to school with a mask to not packing them a peanut butter sandwich if a classmate has an allergy.

“As long as COVID is circulating in our communities, it’s posing a risk to folks. I think we should do everything we can to protect those around us, and that includes wearing a mask,” said Dr. Kristjan Thompson.

Grade 12 student Brie Villeneuve has no plans to do away with masks.

“There’s a lot of anxiety and nervousness and fear,” the 18-year-old said Monday. “We’re going on spring break soon, and if mask mandates aren’t around, people are going to see their friends, their families, they are going to be going out without masks.”

As far as the Grant Park High School student is concerned, it is inevitable cases will rise as restrictions ease and more people — particularly, people who have existing health conditions and the elderly — will be put in harm’s way as a result.

Villeneuve and other members of MB Students for COVID Safety are organizing another walkout before lunchtime March 21, followed by an after-school protest at the Manitoba Legislative Building to call attention to their concerns.

The Manitoba Teachers’ Society has also been outspoken about worries March 15 is too soon to rollback restrictions in schools and warned it will be incredibly difficult to reimpose them later, if deemed necessary.

Union leader James Bedford said empathy is key as directives change.

“One of the really important things going forward is to remember that there’s a multitude of reasons why an individual in a school setting may choose to wear a mask,” Bedford said Monday.

— with files from Katie May

maggie.macintosh@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @macintoshmaggie