One teachers' union in Ontario is calling on the government to bring back mask mandates.
The Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association is demanding the Ford government immediately reinstate the masking mandate in Ontario schools:
“Students, families, teachers, and education workers – everyone – we all want students in school, safely enjoying the benefits of in-person learning. What our students and communities cannot endure are more stress and anxiety from insufficient safety measures, school closures, and whiplash disruptions to the learning environment. To make our schools safe and to keep them open, Catholic teachers call on the Ford government to immediately reinstate the mask mandate in Ontario’s schools."
The union says the Ford government has gone to great lengths to conceal the extent to which COVID-19 is spreading in schools, but teacher and education worker absences related to COVID-19 are going unfilled at an unprecedented rate.
"All the while, the Chief Medical Officer of Health has not made a public appearance in weeks, and members of the Ford government seem more focused on their re-election campaigns than on protecting the health and safety of Ontarians."
The Association warned the Ford government that it was premature to drop the masking requirement after March Break.