Opposition leader, parents call for return to masking in N.B. classrooms
A New Brunswick parent describes a sense of ‘vindication’ after reading through the recently released report from the province’s Child & Youth Advocate on the lifting of COVID-19 measures in the classroom.
“The conclusions and all the points made are exactly what myself and a number of others have been saying since February 24,” says John Gunn, of Riverview N.B. “When premier Higgs first announced the plan to remove all protective measures in New Brunswick.”
Gunn has two school-age children, one of whom has been waiting since September for a surgery that has been cancelled six times — the most recent of which was because the child caught COVID-19 after only three days in class.
“While, he himself was wearing a fitted children’s N-95 mask, because he was the only child in his entire class wearing a mask,” says Gunn.
“I think it was irresponsible to remove [masks] as quickly as [the province] did in the first place. As pointed out in the report, there doesn’t seem to be any data or evidence-based reasoning behind that decision.”
The report by Child & Youth Advocate Kelly Lamrock lists eight recommendations, including having Public Health review the decision to lift COVID-19 mask mandates in schools – and that a proper decision on this should be issued by May 21.
“Bring back the masks right now, and make us understand from a scientific and epidemiology and risk level perspective, why the masks were lifted,” says New Brunswick Leader of the Opposition Roger Melanson.
“I’m worried, I’m really concerned about the politics that’s being played now, or seem to be being played by the premier and his entire government in managing the pandemic at this time.”
Another of the recommendations in the report, is that there should be clear protocols for school leaders when a student has to test, report, or be absent from school because of exposure, symptoms, or a positive test.
“Public Health and Education and Early Childhood Development will be reviewing [Friday’s] recommendations and would like to thank the Child Youth Advocate for his report,” reads a statement sent on behalf of Acting Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Yves Leger.
“Recently, the Health Minister announced that she was welcoming a review by the Auditor General to New Brunswick’s COVID-19 response. And earlier [Friday], the Departments of Health and Education and Early Childhood Development issued a joint statement saying they would continue to work together to maintain and nurture the health of New Brunswick’s children.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Indian envoy warns of 'big red line,' days after charges laid in Nijjar case
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
U.S. paused bomb shipment to Israel to signal concerns over Rafah invasion, official says
The U.S. paused a shipment of bombs to Israel last week over concerns that Israel was approaching a decision on launching a full-scale assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah against the wishes of the U.S.
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in 'Grease,' dead at 72
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
Alcohol believed to be a factor in boating incident after 2 men die: N.S. RCMP
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.