Updated report from Ontario’s pediatric hospitals comes as Doug Ford government prepares to unveil back-to-school plans
Grade 5 students attend class at Pacific Heights Elementary school in Surrey, B.C., on Friday, June 12, 2020.Schools reopening full-time to students this fall should maintain age-appropriate physical distancing measures in classrooms, but not require their youngest learners to wear masks, according to an updated report from Ontario’s pediatric hospitals as the province prepares to unveil its back-to-school plans.
The updated document was a collaborative effort between SickKids, the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, Kingston Health Sciences Centre, London Health Sciences Centre, McMaster Children’s Hospital and Unity Health. Infectious diseases specialists, epidemiologists, public health officials, teachers and parents also provided input, SickKids noted.
The authors said that while physical distancing should be maintained in elementary classrooms by separating desks by one metre, it is “likely not practical” to enforce in children, especially during play and recess. “Interaction, such as playing and socializing, is central to child development and should not be discouraged,” the report stated.
The use of masks in classrooms has become the subject of a fierce debate across the country, and interestingly, the document noted that there wasn’t a full agreement among the contributors on the need and role of students wearing masks.
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