VICTORIA, B.C. – Masks are now mandatory for all students from Grade 4 and up in all of B.C.
Masks are recommended but not mandatory for children from kindergarten to grade three. During a press conference on Monday, Premier John Horgan said cases are “higher today than the worst point of the second wave.”
After the announcement, the B.C Teachers Union tweeted that this was a good start, but more safety measures are needed for teachers.
The BCTF said they appreciate the change announced by Dr. Bonnie Henry but says schools still need more ventilation upgrades and reduced density.
“Despite some vague wording, we have been assured by the Ministry of Education that today’s announcement equates to a province-wide expansion of the orders that were introduced in Surrey over the weekend,” says BCTF President Teri Mooring. “Our sincere thanks go out to the many teachers and parents who have advocated tirelessly to get this safety measure in place as an added layer of protection for teachers and students.”
Over the weekend, 2,515 new cases were reported in B.C. From Friday to Saturday, 936 people tested positive. Then, from Saturday to Sunday, 805 people tested positive. Finally, in the past 24 hours, another 774 people were confirmed to have the disease.
This means that the average number of cases per day over the past week is 803, which is the highest it has been since Nov. 27.
There were 121 new cases over the weekend in the Northern Health region.
In the new cases reported over the weekend, 329 have been identified as variants of the virus. The total number of variant cases reported in B.C. is up to 2,233.
The Province also announced new rules for restaurants and religious services. Click here for details on those announcements.
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