Greater St. Albert Catholic schools announced Tuesday that its schools will require students, staff, and visitors to wear masks in common areas effective Tuesday, as the Division welcomes students back to school.
The move is a change to the previously released Return to School Plan, which strongly recommended but did not mandate masks.
“COVID-19 cases are on the rise and have significantly increased over the past days in the region and is being recognized as a 4th wave,” the release reads. “The most recent data has demonstrated a doubling of daily infections approximately every 11 days.”
The mask mandate applies to all common areas, including hallways, foyers, lunchrooms, libraries and in areas where social distancing is not possible.
Students may remove masks in classrooms when students are seated.
The Division says it will continue to respond to public health changes, making adjustments to the Return to School Plan that it says support a safe and caring learning environment for students and staff.
“We recognize there have been diverse perspectives on the Return to School Plan and will continue to support families for a successful school start up and look forward to lifting health restrictions when it is safe to do so,” the division’s release states. “It continues to be our goal that students enjoy a robust school experience in-person for the entire school year.”