FREDERICTON — Barring any advice to the contrary from public health officials, schoolchildren will return to in-class learning on Jan. 31, New Brunswick's education minister said Monday.
"I know that families, students, teachers and the whole province are anxiously awaiting the return to in-person learning for our students," Dominic Cardy told a news conference in Fredericton.
"We know that distance learning is not an ideal situation for most of our students and families, but it was necessary to slow the transmission of Omicron and to allow the health system to remain functional," he said.
Classes were initially scheduled to reopen last Friday, but that was bumped to Jan. 31 when the province imposed a 16-day lockdown to reduce COVID-19 transmission. Cardy said the extension of online learning also gave more school staff time to get booster doses of COVID-19 vaccine.
When students return, they'll have to wear masks composed of at least three layers and can only remove them when they are eating or drinking.
Teachers and other school staff have been issued KN95 respirators, which are made to filter 95 per cent of small particles.
"Proper mask use is going to be enforced," Cardy said. "Masks must cover the nose and mouth at all times."
The minister said he knows the first half of the school year has not been easy for families, students or school staff. "Nearly two-thirds of our schools were impacted with COVID cases before Christmas and 900 cases confirmed in students, staff and those connected to our school system," he said.
Cardy said there will be cases and outbreaks after classes resume, but he would not say whether the government had done any modelling to estimate the number of expected outbreaks.
"The only prediction I'm going to make is we're going to have cases," he said. "We are going to have to have schools that move online from time to time. There will be operational impacts and we will have to deal with them."
The province has spent $3 million to purchase HEPA filters for 60 schools that do not have integrated mechanical ventilation systems.
Cardy said his staff has reviewed various studies and determined the HEPA filters can provide an added layer of protection when they are properly located and when people also wear masks. He said they should all be installed before the end of the week.
Meanwhile, the number of deaths and hospitalizations related to COVID-19 continues to rise.
Health officials reported three more deaths Monday, involving a person in their 90s in the Moncton region, someone in their 80s in the Saint John area and a person in their 70s in the Edmundston region.
There were 131 people hospitalized with COVID-19, up from 126 reported on Sunday. There were 12 people in intensive care and four patients on ventilators.
The entire province remains under its highest level of lockdown, and 469 health-care workers are isolating after testing positive for COVID-19.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 24, 2022.
Kevin Bissett, The Canadian Press
