The local Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario president says he's already receiving feedback that the province's mask mandate removal right after March break is too soon.
Dr. Kieran Moore, Ontario's Chief Medical Officer of Health, announced Wednesday at Queen’s Park that COVID-19 mask requirements will lift in most indoor settings on March 21.
Speaking on AM800's The Dan MacDonald show, Mario Spagnuolo says the premature removal of the mask mandate in Ontario schools risks further disruption and jeopardizes safety.
"I think the question that is on my mind is do the benefits outweigh the risks of keeping those masks on for another week or two after the March break? I would say there's a benefit of keeping them on, just to make sure that things are OK, especially as people are travelling during the break and coming back," he says.
Spagnuolo says schools are different than other places in the community like shopping centres or restaurants.
"Kids are next to each other, teachers are in support staffs, distancing is very difficult depending on the classroom and the class size," he says. "Teachers would love to see the masks' gone, I think the question is when and how gradually it could be done."
ETFO members have been contending with different rules inside classrooms than those that exist in similar high-risk settings outside schools for two years, and Spagnuolo wishes that the removing of rules was done differently for schools as well.
"In my view, and I'm not a doctor or medical expert, I'm just a teacher hearing what's happening in our classrooms," he says. "I think it would've made sense to have a more gradual plan for public schools, and not make it the exact same as for a regular setting out in the community because they are different."
Spagnuolo says he expects that many students and teachers will continue to wear masks at school beyond March 21.
The province says improving health indicators, such as a stable COVID-19 test positivity rate and declining hospitalizations, as well as Ontario's high vaccination rates and the availability of antiviral treatments, allow for these steps.
The next step in Ontario's reopening will come on March 14, when mandatory vaccinate-or-test policies end for workers in schools, child-care settings, hospitals and long-term care.
Government officials say individual organizations will have the authority to keep their own requirements in place, and most hospitals have said they will continue their strict vaccine mandates.
One week later, masking requirements in most settings will be removed - including in schools and child-care settings - except for public transit, long-term care, retirement homes, other congregate settings, and health-care settings.
On April 27, all remaining mask rules will be lifted and remaining emergency orders and directives will be lifted or expire, except that officials say isolation requirements for those who've tested positive for COVID-19 or have symptoms are part of ongoing guidance.
But isolation guidelines are being changed today for close contacts of someone with COVID-19 or who is symptomatic. People will only need to isolate if their close contact is a household member and if they are an adult who has not received a booster dose or someone under 18 who has not received two doses.