A BC advocacy group is calling on government officials to implement a universal mask mandate at K-12 facilities when students and staff return after spring break..Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry already made the announcement in early March that students will not be mandated to wear masks when they return to school, however the Safe Schools Coalition BC says public schools are particularly “unique in this pandemic,” therefore masking must continue..The coalition made its case in an open letter..“This is a call to action to all education stakeholders and leaders who contribute to and carry out education policy in BC’s K-12 schools, to continue universal masking for staff and students, instead of removing the mandate after spring break,” reads the letter..“Failure to do so will be putting children and families at risk and is breaking a basic tenet of public schools — that ALL children have the right to access an education.”.Among its spread of concerns, the coalition highlights vaccination rates in children younger than 11 are “stalled” and children younger than four still can’t get vaccinated against COVID..“Public schools are supposed to be equitable and safe for all,” says the organization..“If rules can be set for peanut-free schools, so that those with severe peanut allergies can avoid exposure, then the same needs to be done for students who themselves or whose families face higher risk from catching this virus.”.Raising particular concern about “long-COVID,” the coalition says failure to implement a face-covering mandate “could be a human rights violation.”.“Schools in BC await your response — will you be inclusive and protect all children, staff, and families?” reads the letter. The coalition can be contacted here..Aside from K-12 schools, calls to enforce mask mandates on post-secondary campuses are also circulating..Students, admin, and instructors at Simon Fraser University have been demanding the school follow the University of British Columbia’s lead by making masks mandatory for all, irrespective of provincial orders..Henry alluded to re-instituting province-wide mandates in the future, saying she will “keep those in our back pocket for those times when we might need to use them again.”.Reid Small is a BC-based reporter for the Western Standard.,rsmall@westernstandardonline.com,.Twitter.com/reidsmall
