An open letter to Nova Scotia Parents and Students

March 17, 2022

From: The Nova Scotia Pediatric Pandemic Advisory Group

We have just passed the two-year anniversary of the first case of COVID-19 in our province. We recognize that this has been two years of anxiety, fear, and frustration for many Nova Scotians, including our children.  The lifting of mandated pandemic measures has been a welcome shift for many in our province. However, although case counts and hospitalizations are slowly declining, we acknowledge that they do remain high.

Masking and vaccination have been two of the cornerstones of the pandemic response that are well-proven to be effective in decreasing transmission and severity of COVID-19 infection.

As students return to school after March Break, masking will no longer be required.  However, even though it is no longer a requirement, we strongly recommend wearing of masks in the school setting until at least mid-April, at which time the need can be reassessed.  Schools, like hospitals, provide an essential service. We need our students and educational staff to be healthy and able to attend so that all can benefit.

Continued masking in schools allows us to:

• Assess the school impacts of cessation of mask mandates in other provinces
• Assess the impact of the new Omicron variant within this current COVID-19 wave
• Comfortably add open classroom windows as another layer of protection
• Protect essential workers, including health care workers, who are parents to school age children
• Have more time available during which school-aged children can receive all recommended vaccines

The reasons to continue in-school masking include:

• The number of hospital inpatients is still high and our adult hospitals are generally over capacity
• Many health care workers are still off work from infections and exposures
• Vaccination rates for children between 5-11 years are <80%
• Evidence suggests that properly fitted 3 ply masks reduce risk of COVID-19 transmission in the school setting and help decrease sick time from school
• Students are used to wearing masks, and there is no clear evidence they cause meaningful harm

In addition to continued masking while in school, we recommend:

1. Making sure you and your family receive all recommended COVID-19 vaccinations.
2. Staying home from school/work if you are sick.
3. Closely following your school’s protocols. Explain these to your children. 
4. Being prepared in case one or more of your family members has a COVID-19 infection.  Please see the guidelines for preparing and caring for your child or family member at home with COVID-19.

Finally, it is important to ensure that students are not bullied about whether they do or do not wear a mask. Discuss this with your children. Be kind to one another, and tough on the virus.

NS Pediatric Pandemic Advisory Group:

Dr. Alexa Bagnell (IWK Chief of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry)
Dr. Tara Chobotuk (IWK Pediatric Emergency Medicine and Chief of Community Pediatrics- Central Zone)
Dr. Jeannette Comeau (IWK Pediatric Infectious Diseases Specialist and Medical Director, Infection Prevention & Control)
Dr. Joanna Holland (IWK General Pediatrics & Hospital Medicine)
Dr. Katharine Kellock (Community Pediatrician-Sydney)
Dr. Mike Nash (Chief of Pediatrics - Valley Regional Hospital, Kentville)
Dr. Sarah Shea (IWK Developmental Pediatrics)
Dr. Andrew Lynk (IWK Chief of Pediatrics)