'It's OK to change your mind': Parents, pediatricians continue to call for masks in N.B. classrooms

Despite Nova Scotia’s move to make masks mandatory in schools until the long weekend in May, New Brunswick’s Department of Education says its decision on the matter remains unchanged.

Newfoundland and Labrador also announced Wednesday that masks will remain in schools for at least another month.

Quebec and Prince Edward Island extended their mask mandates in all indoor public places last week.

The Eastern Canadian holdout is New Brunswick, where it remains an individual choice.

But pediatricians and doctors, as well as parents, have been vocal on the issue - asking that masks return to the classroom.

“If you’re not going to request masks in schools for kids, show me why,” said parent Sarah Ecker.

Ecker says her family of four came down with COVID-19 after all restrictions, including masks in schools, were removed.

Her son is in Grade 1 and her daughter is four years old - not old enough to get the vaccine.

“He’s so willing to wear his mask to keep his friends safe and to keep his little sister safe, it’s not just for us selfishly, we want to do our part to keep other people safe,” she said. “I know it’s an unpopular opinion maybe, or maybe it’s not, maybe it’s more popular than I think, but I would really like to see masks come back for kids at school.”

Ecker, a registered nurse, would also like to see better messaging on the potential impacts of COVID-19. She doesn’t believe long-COVID and its impacts are spoken about enough.

A group of 19 pediatricians signed a letter on April 1, asking that the New Brunswick government reconsider its position on masks.

Dr. Mike Dickinson, a pediatrician in Miramichi, believes many more would have signed, but they wanted to get the letter out to the public as quickly as possible.

He maintains the move would be a positive one for children, health-care workers and families in the province.

“There wouldn’t be a day now where we don’t either see a child with COVID in our clinic, talk with the parents of a child with COVID by phone, or get a call or see a child in our emergency room in regards to COVID,” he said.

He’s hoping the province reconsiders.

“I actually believe in my heart that the people at public health are actually trying to do the best that they can and this is unchartered territory. I would say to them that it's OK to change your mind on this one. That if they look around, if they look at the data and look at what we're dealing with, I think that they would probably agree that this is a low cost-no cost save-easy thing to implement.”