VANCOUVER - The Vancouver School District has issued a letter to parents about the extension of a provincial mask mandate that will include kindergarten to Grade 3 students starting Monday after a unanimous vote by board members.
School district chair Carmen Cho says in the letter that requiring all students to wear masks will provide an extra layer of protection to limit the spread of COVID-19.
Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry has resisted calls by parents and teachers to require all students to wear the face coverings, saying ventilation and limitations to intermingling between classes in different grades are also important factors.
Henry has said more children between the ages of five and 11 are being diagnosed with COVID-19 because they are not eligible for vaccines.
Kyenta Martins, who speaks for a parent-led group called Safe Schools Coalition BC, says a rise in cases should prompt a provincewide mask mandate for all children if the goal is to keep students learning in schools.
She says the province should be preparing to boost resources for remote learning and provide quicker data on the number of COVID-19 cases, which she fears are being under-reported by the province.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 29, 2021.
