Will students be required to wear masks at school in September?

That very question was asked yesterday of Health Minister Cameron Friesen who was not entirely firm in his answer.

“Has there been consideration given? Absolutely.” Right now, Friesen says the province is hoping to proceed without requiring the use of masks in schools, though that could be subject to change.

“We still remain some weeks away from the reopening of schools. The evidence of what we see between now and then will be important in informing these kinds of decisions.”

Friesen recognizes that the majority of parents, students, and educators want classes to look as normal as possible. “At this point, we know there is an appetite from families for things to get back to how they were,” he offers.

Addressing Education Minister Kelvin Goertzen’s announcement made last week, Friesen says his government intends to follow the norm as closely as they can while keeping health and safety as the top priorities.