More students get back to school Tuesday and masks are optional

When the school bell rings Tuesday, tens of thousands of students in the capital will make their grand return to the classroom.

"I'm excited for them to go back and have normality," said Amanda Pierce. Her son Nathan will be starting Grade 2 and he won't be be wearing a mask.

"I don't want to wear a mask because it bothers me," he said.

Ottawa's school boards say masks are optional for students and staff.

Kumuthini Paramanathan's daughter Aashna is also back to in-person learning, choosing to wear a mask indoors.

"I think I'll wear it most of the time, but not that much outside," she said.

For many, it's a return to what could be the most normal school year since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. But some have raised concerns about Ontario ending five-day isolation for people who test positive for COVID-19.

"I'm not really comfortable with that," said high school student Avery Crummey. "I feel the five days are the time you need to get over COVID."

Health experts say the decision to lift isolation rules could pave the way for more spread within schools and trigger another wave.

"We know COVID is transmitted primarily in indoor settings," said infectious diseases specialist Dr. Isaac Bogoch. "We aren't going to see anything different."

But there are steps to reduce risk of infection. Bogoch recommends wearing a mask in indoor spaces and staying home when you're sick.

"COVID or not, people shouldn't be coming to school or work when they're sick," he said. "We know that people still do, and if they are still transmissible to others and that's where the masking helps."

There is no formal recommendation on if or when to reintroduce mandatory masking in schools, but after three school years with disruptions due to COVID-19, health experts says the prioirty is to keep kids in the classroom.