Most students mask up as mandate drops on first day after March Break

Many students in Ottawa decided to keep their masks on as they returned to school after March Break.

The province dropped its mask mandates in schools on Monday, making it now a choice to cover up.

Jessica Fullerton is a mother of two and says her family is feeling a little nervous to go back to the classroom.

“I think for the most part, a lot of kids will keep wearing masks. We talked about being respectful about everyone’s decision and comfort level. We are bit nervous it is a little premature; there are three months left in school,” she said.

Fullerton would have liked mandates to stay in place for at least a few more weeks. Her daughter Elliott is in Grade 2 and says she is “wearing it because I want to protect myself and others,” but she is excited to go back inside the classroom. “I am feeling good because I get to see my friends again.”

Father Leon Boegman says the decision to keep wearing masks was made as family.

“We asked them what they felt comfortable doing and they said they felt comfortable, so they are going to keep them.”

Monday was the first day back in the classroom after a week off for March Break. Grade 3 student Cassandra Desmarteau says, “I am feeling great. I am excited to see my friends for the first time in a while.” Her father Louis Desmarteau says he is feeling fine with lifting mask mandates in schools, but it will require respecting everyone’s personal decisions.

“So long as people have the ability to make the choice for them and for their families to make the choice on what’s best if some want to wear masks, some don’t, that’s fine,” he said.

The mask mandate is lifted in both elementary and secondary levels. Grade 11 student Yasin Bahdon, says the majority of his classmates still wore masks.

“I noticed there are a lot of people still wearing their masks, barely anyone taking off their masks. People are still skeptical, ” Bahdon says. “I saw a few people not wearing masks and it will take some getting used to, but I think in a few more weeks people won’t wear masks, and that will be the regular thing.”

But CHEO’S chief of staff is warning the community to not let their guard down. Dr. Lindy Samson says, “COVID is not gone by any means. At the hospital, we are still seeing children who are being admitted to hospital with COVID infections. We had a little decrease in that a few weeks ago and now it is increasing again.”

Samson says wastewater indications point to a rise and says a new subvariant is on the horizon. “As some of the public health measures have been lifted over the past few weeks people are mixing a little bit more and a little bit differently than they have for the past week years.”

Samson says, “Masks are one of our most protective layers that we can use, whether you are a kid or an adult, to help reduce the chances of transmitting COVID along with vaccines. “

She strongly encourages students to keep wearing masks. “People have worked really hard for the past few years to stay safe and stay well and we don’t want to lose all that good work now by taking masks off too soon.”

Samson says, “We need to be thoughtful and go slow. Let’s wait a few weeks after some of the public health protective measures have been removed in the community, let’s see what happens in the broader community and then that is a good time to say, ‘Are we seeing a new variant? Are we seeing more activity or is everything okay?’ Then reassess about masks and schools at that time.”