We, parents and guardians, are concerned about the impact on schools due to the relaxation of the mask-wearing policies in Phase 5 reopening plan, now delayed to October 4th. We request that the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development review the latest guidance from the Public Health Agency of Canada and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and consider mandatory mask policies in Nova Scotia schools for children under 12.  This will provide a necessary and reasonable layer of protection for students and teachers considering the emerging 4th wave impacting Canada, until such time as vaccines are available for kids under 12.

The Delta variant has wreaked havoc among kids in the United States and Canada where restrictions have eased. While community transmission in Nova Scotia is currently low, basing re-opening plans on continued low transmission ignores the effect that the Delta variant has had elsewhere.

According to the 2021-2022 school year guidance provided by the Government of Canada “A well-constructed, well-fitting and properly worn non-medical mask has been shown to protect the wearer and those around them” and “compared to the potential negative consequences associated with school closures and online learning noted above, mask-wearing can prevent SARS-CoV-2 transmission among unvaccinated children and may also help reduce transmission of other respiratory conditions within school settings (e.g., influenza, RSV)”.

The CDC has recently updated its guidance given new evidence on the B.1.617.2 (Delta) variant as follows “Due to the circulating and highly contagious Delta variant, CDC recommends universal indoor masking by all students (age 2 and older), staff, teachers, and visitors to K-12 schools, regardless of vaccination status.”

The WHO's most recent recommendation on masking has obvious implications for classrooms in Nova Scotia: "In areas where the virus is circulating, masks should be worn when you’re in crowded settings, where you can’t be at least 1 metre from others, and in rooms with poor or unknown ventilation."  Many classrooms in the province have no mechanical ventilation and require windows to be opened during the winter months.

In Nova Scotia, the phase 5 reopening plan released by the Department of Health and Wellness emphasizes “Wearing masks will continue to be strongly recommended” and that “businesses and other organizations are also free to set their own mask policies.”

Given the threat posed to Nova Scotia schools by the Delta variant, and the public health guidance outlined above, we believe that continuing to require masks in classrooms is warranted for unvaccinated children under 12.  This would represent an important and proactive step before infections begin to ramp up.