When schools reopen, masks will be required for staff, middle and secondary students in buses as well as in common areas such as hallways, the province announced today.
Masks will also be required anytime students are outside of their learning group and whenever physical distancing cannot be maintained.
Exceptions will be made for students who cannot wear masks for medical reasons.
Another key health and safety measure is the establishment of learning groups.
A learning group includes students and staff who remain together throughout the school quarter, semester or year, which could be made up of a single class of students or multiple classes of students.
Learning groups will sometimes join for activities like physical education or music, or they may be secondary students taking the same courses.
Even when wearing a mask, staff and students will be required to maintain physical distance from people outside of their learning group.
Efforts will be put in place to ensure there is no crowding, gathering or congregating of people from different learning groups in a school setting, even if non-medical masks are being worn.
Schools will also ensure non-medical masks are available for staff if someone becomes ill at school.
The government will purchase of up to 1.5 million masks, enough for every public-school staff member and student to have at least two masks.
Canadian Shield, a manufacturer of personal protective equipment products in Ontario, Canada, recently announced it is donating an additional 54,500 face shields for schools in BC.
The Province is providing an additional $45.6 million to school districts for enhanced cleaning, handwashing stations, reusable masks and other safety measures.
