February 4th, 2021
Secondary school students and staff will now be required to wear non-medical masks in all indoor areas, including when they are in their learning groups or cohorts. The only exceptions are when:
- they are seated or standing at their desks or workstation in a classroom;
- when there is barrier in place;
- or if they are eating or drinking.
The changes were announced by the Ministry of Education on Feb. 4. Please see the full news release here.
Previously, masks were required in secondary schools only in common areas such as hallways or buses, when staff and students were unable to maintain distance from others.
Masks are required to be worn by all elementary school staff; however, mask-wearing for elementary students remains optional based on family/caregiver choice.
Guidelines for physical education and music classes have also changed.
The provincial announcement also included the second installment of $101M in federal funding for districts to manage COVID-19 exposures in schools, as well as a K-12 health-checker app developed for students and families. The app can be found HERE.
