Some students at Maritime universities will need to mask up in class and labs
Halifax's Dalhousie University is the latest post-secondary institution to announce they will require masks to be worn in all indoor classrooms and instructional spaces when students return in September.
The reaction among students is mixed and not everybody is on board with the decision.
"To some degree, I see it as a setback,” said Dalhousie student Sam Peapell. “Me and most of my friends thought we were passed that, but we're coming back to it."
Peapell says he understands it's about limiting the spread of COVID-19 and hopes it's a temporary measure.
“The majority of my university life has been spent under a pandemic,” said Peapell. “And I've kind of gotten used to the whole no mask thing but maybe it will protect people better and keep cases lower. I guess we’ll see.”
International student Kamran Awaisi says there’s a good reason for going back to masks. He continues to see infections among friends in his social circle.
"I know two, three or more people in Halifax that got COVID-19,” said Awaisi, a computer science student at Dalhousie. “So I think bringing the masks back in the fall is really a good approach to preventing the spread of COVID-19."
Staff at Mount Saint Vincent University have been monitoring the COVID-19 situation closely and have also decided to keep a mask mandate in place for classes and labs this fall semester.
"We just felt it was a safe and good way to move forward come September,” said Maxine Brewer, a registered nurse and the health and wellness manager at MSVU. “Again, it's very evolving, so we might be lucky enough to say one day that we might actually not be wearing masks anymore, but it's something that we will be looking at on a very regular basis."
South of the border, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has rolled back its COVID-19 protocols ahead of the school year, including lifting the requirement to quarantine if deemed a close contact of someone infected and dropping social distancing.
Most schools across the U.S. have made masks optional.
Although it's not mandatory, Canada’s public health agency continues to recommend wearing masks while indoors in public places.
“I recommend that people who are going to be congregating together in public places for long periods of time, i.e. an hour at least at a time, should be wearing their masks inside,” said Dr. Lisa Barrett, an infectious disease expert located in Halifax.
Putting masking policies in place for lecture halls and labs is a good policy, said Barrett.
“If people don’t have the right message right now and have to be in those spaces, I think it behooves organizations to help people make the right choice by making it a policy,” said Barrett.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
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.
Federal government grants B.C.'s request to recriminalize hard drugs in public spaces
The federal government is granting British Columbia's request to recriminalize hard drugs in public spaces, nearly two weeks after the province asked to end its pilot project early over concerns of public drug use.
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
Stormy Daniels took the witness stand Tuesday at Donald Trump's hush money trial, describing for jurors a sexual encounter the porn actor says she had with him in 2006 that resulted in her being paid off to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
MPs agree Canadian gov't should improve new disability benefit
The federal government needs to safeguard the incoming Canada Disability Benefit from clawbacks and do more to ensure it actually meets the stated aim of lifting people living with disabilities out of poverty, MPs from all parties agree.
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.
CFL suspends Argos QB Chad Kelly at least nine games following investigation
The CFL has suspended Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly for at least nine regular-season games following its investigation into a lawsuit filed by a former strength-and-conditioning coach against both the player and club.
Boy Scouts of America changing name for first time in 114 years, aiming for inclusivity
The Boy Scouts of America is changing its name for the first time in its 114-year history and will become Scouting America. It's a significant shift as the organization emerges from bankruptcy following a flood of sexual abuse claims and seeks to focus on inclusion.
opinion Tom Mulcair: Trudeau's handling of Poilievre's 'wacko' House turfing a clear sign of Liberal desperation
When Speaker Greg Fergus tossed out Pierre Poilievre from the House last week, "those of us who have experience as parliamentarians simply couldn't believe our eyes," writes former NDP leader Tom Mulcair in his column for CTVNews.ca
New charges for Ont. woman who previously admitted to defrauding doulas
The Brantford, Ont. woman who was previously sentenced to house arrest after admitting to deceiving doulas has been charged again in connection to a new victim.