Please sign this petition to allow children the choice to decide if they want to wear a mask in school or not. Based on Canadian statistics on COVID-19 there have been 144,000 positive cases in kids under 19 years of age (as of March 1, 2021). This age group has the second highest number of positive cases in Canada, making it statistically significant. Yet, the risk of hospitalization is only 1.5%, the risk of being admitted to the ICU is 0.08% and the risk of death is 0.00%. 

A study in Israel on COVID-19 cases among children under 20 found that they are 43% less susceptible to contracting COVID-19 compared to an adult and are 63% less likely to transmit COVID-19 compared to adults.

Kids Help Phone has seen an increase in calls, texts, emails from 2018 to 2019 of 18%, the increase from 2019 to 2020 (during the pandemic) has increased this by 111%, with over 4 million connections! So, what is actually harming our children is not COVID-19, its the lack of social interactions, the lack of relationships, and the feeling of isolation. Masks remove a child's ability to properly show emotion, experience feelings and can increase their anxiety. They remove them to eat their lunches and play outside (not always 6' apart), and there is still no spread in schools, so why can they not remove them while in the classroom? Give children and their families a choice to decide whether they want to wear the masks or not and stop making them mandatory.

Based on all these facts, I plead with you to help give children a voice and sign this petition!