Richmond teachers call for mandatory masks

Richmond teachers joined their colleagues in the region calling for mandatory masks in schools.

As students return to classrooms from spring break, the presidents of all the locals in Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) are asking the province to follow Surrey’s lead on mandatory masks to protect against COVID-19.

In a joint press release, the teachers’ groups are saying B.C.’s health officials are “refusing to come into alignment” with mask mandates across the country in light of “near record levels” of the virus in the province.

On Friday, there were 908 new cases reported across the province, the second highest daily total recorded during the pandemic.

There have been around 100 COVID-19 exposures in Richmond schools since the beginning of September, but school district superintendent, Scott Robinson, has said at several public meetings there have been “no known transmissions” of the virus in Richmond schools.

Meanwhile, in Surrey, there have been several outbreaks of COVID-19 as well as shutdowns of schools because of these outbreaks.

RTA president Liz Baverstock, in a press release Monday, said teachers have been “patient” and “understanding” on the subject of masks.

“We have asked again and again for a mask mandate and we have been consistently disappointed,” Baverstock said in the release. “This is about adding layers of protection to ensure we have done everything possible to protect the health and safety of teachers and students. This is about increasing confidence in school safety and reducing anxiety.”