Premier Higgs, Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Russell, and Education Minister Dominic Cardy: 

Masks are one of the most effective tools in preventing transmission of COVID-19 in classrooms. Our schools have limited options for physical distancing and only a small percentage have made improvements to indoor air quality. Masks are a simple solution that protect everyone in the classroom from the spread of COVID-19. Having a healthier school environment benefits every student and school employee. 

We, the undersigned, request universal indoor masking in schools (including school buses) to the end of April 2022, at which point masking can be reassessed using current COVID-19 data. Everyone is welcome to sign this petition as increased COVID-19 transmission in New Brunswick schools will affect all residents of this province. Increased COVID-19 cases affect our overall healthcare capacity, as both hospitalizations (including pediatric hospitalizations, which have been highest with the omicron variant) and cases in households of healthcare workers negatively affect NB healthcare capacity. 

In New Brunswick schools, over 12,000 cases have been reported this school year, with over 7,000 of those cases reported in February 2022 alone. In addition, we are learning more every day about the impacts of long COVID in our communities. It is not the time to stop wearing masks in schools. In August 2021 all New Brunswickers saw and experienced the disaster of lessening public health protections too early. Removing universal masking protection in schools will negatively impact any member of the school community who is at risk, which is counter to the principles of inclusion in New Brunswick schools. It puts families in the position of needing to remove children from school to protect their vulnerable family members. Ending mask mandates will deny children access to education, through no fault of their own. Masking is cheap, easy, and an effective way to protect oneself and others.  It is most effective when everyone wears a mask.

As has been demonstrated in many scientific journals and stated by the Public Health Agency of Canada, COVID-19 is an airborne virus. This means the virus can travel through the air when it is expelled from the mouth and nose during speaking, singing, yelling, coughing, sneezing, etc. Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada's Chief Public Health Officer states “Evidence on aerosol spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus shows that expelled virus particles can spread over distances and linger in fine aerosols for periods of time, much like second-hand smoke.”  When a person wears a mask in a classroom, it dramatically reduces infection from student to student, student to educator, or educator to student. Dr. Theresa Tam advises Canadians that masks are an integral protection against COVID-19 infection. Any educator, parent, or concerned member of the community can also visit http://urgencyofequity.org to learn more about ways to reduce COVID-19 transmission in schools.

We, the undersigned, have a simple ask: Keep mask mandates in schools for several more weeks to protect all New Brunswickers.