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No mask mandate for B.C. schools as province urges vaccination to curb COVID

Vaccination, regular health checks, and staying home when sick are the province’s recommendations
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As families prepare for the start of the school year, the province has released their guidelines for preventing COVID transmission in schools.

This will be the third school year impacted by the pandemic. Efforts to curb in-school transmission will rely heavily on vaccination and students staying home when they are sick.

Students will not be required to wear masks and the province is not bringing back the cohort system or staggered start times seen earlier in the pandemic.

“Wearing a mask will continue to be a personal choice, and that choice will be supported and respected. Schools will continue to have masks available for those who want to wear one,” the province said in a news release.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, the province has invested $166.5 million into upgrading and improving classroom ventilation. However, many classrooms still lack the mechanical ventilation necessary to prevent COVID infections.

READ MORE: Back-to-school prep: RCMP offers tips for teens and parents to navigate cyberbullying


@SchislerCole
cole.schisler@bpdigital.ca

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