Sudbury parent says province's plan to lift mask mandates in school 'premature'
CBC
A Sudbury parent said she has concerns about the province's plan to lift mask mandates in school.
This week, the provincial government announced as of March 21, masks will no longer be required in most indoor settings in Ontario, including restaurants, retail, fitness centres, grocery stores and schools.
Sara Kitler-Pothier has two children, including one who is autistic.
"I think it's a little bit premature," she said of the province's plan.
"It seems to lean a little bit more political and in my opinion, politics has no place in the public health realm."
Kitler-Pothier said it was a challenge to get her children to wear masks, especially her son who has autism.
"Our kids are still very vulnerable," she said.
"And whether it's COVID or colds or flus, we know that masks work as an extra line of defence to protect our kids and particularly vulnerable populations, particularly with children with disabilities."
Kitler-Pothier said she understands it's up to individuals to decide whether to wear a mask after March 21.
"It's a really difficult decision for parents to try and determine what's right. You know, are kids going to be singled out if they wear them, if they don't wear them?" she said.
"A lot of parents are really worried about their children's mental health, and part of that is being bullied and things like that as well."
Eric Laberge, president of District 3 of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation, said he's been getting calls from members on both sides of the issue.
"We've got some that are looking forward to getting back to a return to some form of normalcy — like most of us in society; but there's probably an equal number that feel that this is too fast and too soon," he said.
He said his union is questioning the timing of the announcement, as the mask mandate will lift as students return from March break.
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