Surrey school board mandates masks for kindergarten to Grade 12 students
CBC
B.C.'s two largest school districts, Surrey and Vancouver, have mandated masks for students in kindergarten to Grade 12 as some parents grow more anxious about the spread of the Delta variant.
The Surrey Board of Education made the announcement Wednesday to include younger students in its mask mandate after the Vancouver School Board voted Monday to do the same. Provincial health officials have not made it a requirement for all students across B.C.
Surrey Schools Supt. Jordan Tinney said the board met with Fraser Health's medical officer before posting a bulletin that says masks are going to be required from K-12 beginning Oct. 4.
He said the Vancouver School Board's decision put the issue of masks in the spotlight.
Tinney also referred to section 13 of the public health order on masks amended this week that states, "Nothing in this order prevents an operator, school or post-secondary institution from having additional requirements in relation to face coverings."
"So that was like a green light that the boards had the total sanction to go that way if they wish," said Tinney.
He said parents have been asking school officials for an expanded mask mandate in the face of COVID-19 cases in schools.
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