Nearly two years after schools were first closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the province announced masking mandates and other health and safety measures are being lifted.
Dr. Kieran Moore, Ontario’s chief medical officer of health, announced Wednesday the masking requirement will be lifted in schools on March 21. Masking will no longer be required on school transportation, and other measures like cohorting and physical distancing requirements will be removed.
“As we continue to ease public health measures, we are also working with the Ministry of Education to align measures in schools,” said Moore Wednesday.
Speaking hours after the announcement at a regular Upper Canada District School Board meeting, John McAllister, chairman of the board, welcomed the news.
“Personally, I think it’s a tremendous step forward,” said McAllister. “It’s a step towards a more normal learning environment for our students and our staff who have endured a great deal over these past two years.”
Ron Ferguson, UCDSB director of education, echoed McAllister’s sentiments.
“We recognize that for many people, this will be a time of joy and happiness as we get back into more normal conditions,” said Ferguson.
“If you walk into a school after March 21st when this takes effect, schools should look very much like it did before this all began over two years ago.”
While welcoming the news, both Moore and Ferguson stated that, should a student or staff member decide to wear a mask, their choice should be respected.
“For others, there may be some anxiety and some fear around this,” said Ferguson. “If people continue to choose to wear a mask, they will be welcomed to do so and there will be no stigma involved in that.”
Masks will continue to be freely supplied to students and staff who wish to wear one, said Moore. The province’s top doctor also said that, while students and staff will still be instructed to self-screen daily, schools will no longer be verifying that the screening took place.
In response to the provincial announcement, the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario released a statement criticizing the moves as too early.
“Lifting the mask mandate too soon may result in further disruption to in-person learning and negative impacts on the health and safety of ETFO members, students, and their families,” said ETFO president Karen Brown
Peter Lindsay, president of ETFO’s Upper Canada Local, said the move did not come as a surprise given the recent actions to lift kindergarten masking locally.
“The way the decision was rolled out, I don’t think it was based on science at all,” said Lindsay.
The local union rep referenced comments made by Eastern Ontario Health Unit medical officer of health Dr. Paul Roumeliotis. He said he would have preferred having an extra couple of weeks of measures remaining in place in schools.
Lindsay said he has heard from some teachers who are “not comfortable” with the masking lift.
“It just seems we have all of a sudden decided we are walking away from COVID and pretending it’s not there,” said Lindsay.
“It’s everyone’s worst fears that schools would have to close again… and if we aren’t following what the experts are saying, is this going to put us in a position where we do have to close schools down again?”
In a letter to parents, UCDSB officials outlined other changes related to isolation periods. If someone is asymptomatic, they are no longer required to be isolated if in close contact with a symptomatic person. Instead, they should self-monitor for 10 days and wear a mask during that period.
If someone is asymptomatic with household contacts, they are not required to isolate under the following conditions: If 17 or younger and fully vaccinated; if 18 or older and either have a COVID-19 booster or have tested positive for COVID-19 in the last 90 days (following an isolation period).