Students in most parts of the country resume classes Tuesday or Wednesday, although Saskatchewan and Alberta reopened their doors last week. Largely common among the returns is the absence of many COVID-19 restrictions — generally, masks are optional, signed check sheets are gone, and in-person classes trump remote options. But uncertainty dominated Sophia Roper’s back-to-school preparations as she took her 11-year-old granddaughter Jazmine shopping last week and expressed her frustration at the lack of mask orders and seemingly conflicting public health advice from the top doctor of Ontario. Kieran Moore.

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Story continues below ad “(He said) fall is coming and everyone will be indoors _ watch out. (But) you’re telling people, “OK, we’re lifting the mask mandate,” said Roper, who was among the minority of mask-wearing shoppers at a Toronto mall. “And they say now we’re going to see spikes…. People are confused. People are at a point where they’re like, “You know what? I’m just going to do what I want to do.” Confusion for many Ontario families intensified in recent days when Moore said people who test positive for COVID-19 no longer need to self-isolate for five days and can return to work or school if symptoms improve for at least 24 hours . Moore said people should wear a mask for 10 days after the onset of symptoms, which, combined with up-to-date vaccinations, should provide “a more realistic and practical approach … with the least disruption we can have at school and the work environment.” It aligns the province with several others that have dropped the isolation requirement — including Saskatchewan and Manitoba in March, Alberta in June and Nova Scotia in July — although health officials still recommend five days of self-isolation. But critics, including two major teachers’ unions, pushed back, fearing that repealing the mandate could send contagious children and teachers back into the classroom — leading to more spread and more disruption. Story continues below ad 2:21 Concerns of another COVID wave rising as fall approaches Concerns of another COVID wave rising as fall approaches It’s certainly a concern for 10-year-old Lauren Tran, who said she had been taking COVID precautions all summer and was expected to cover her face when she starts 5th grade Wednesday in Toronto. She’s already talked to friends and knows she won’t be the only one covering her face. Trending Stories

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However, Tran acknowledged that many children left the masks on during the summer as warmer weather allowed for safer outdoor gatherings, and she wondered if they would put them back on if they didn’t need to. “Last year (at the school) it was pretty good – only, like, one or two people stopped wearing masks. But I’m kind of scared this year,” admits Tran, who contracted the virus last spring and says it’s “not fun at all.” “A lot of kids don’t wear masks anymore. So I’m a little nervous, but I know it’s their personal decision and I respect that.” Story continues below ad Saskatoon mom and pediatrician Dr. Ayisha Kurji said she saw a mix of masked and unmasked children waiting to enter the building during school drop-off last week. Kurji advised families to outfit children with whatever mask they can tolerate for the entire school day, acknowledging that cost is a barrier for many. Opt for tight-fitting surgical masks and N95 masks over reusable cloth masks. “Covid is not over. We know that. We know we have to prepare for potential cases to increase in the fall when we all move in,” said Kurji, an assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Saskatchewan. “We know the spread is higher domestically. We know masks work. We know that hand washing helps and we know that if you are sick, you should stay home. So, even if the orders are not there, the lessons have not changed.”

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The ongoing debate about whether or not to wear masks is likely to continue in classrooms and among students, Kurji said, and she encouraged parents to discuss with their children ways to be respectful when opinions clash. She said her advice to her own nine- and 12-year-old was: “Don’t ask why they’re not snuggling. If it comes up in conversation or if asked, keep it short, “I feel safer this way.” Or _ if you have to _ say, “My mom makes me,” she smiled. Story continues below ad Fifteen-year-old Jayda Vitorio said she didn’t like wearing a mask when she had to during the past school year and doesn’t expect one when she starts Grade 10 this week at her Toronto Catholic school. She said she was looking forward to a somewhat normal year that would also get rid of a controversial “four-year” system that made her take extra long classes. Meanwhile, Vitorio’s mum Helen said she is looking forward to Jayda getting a chance to better socialize with friends without the added barrier of masks. “I want my daughter to be free. I want it to start coming out. No, you know, to be afraid of close contact,” Vittorio said. “I don’t want him to have cold relations with people. I want her to have a normal life, like I did. I want him to meet friends, hold a person’s hand and not be afraid to get close.” Vitorio said three years of the pandemic should have sufficiently taught students how to keep themselves safe through hand hygiene and other precautions. He said he believes COVID-19 is here to stay, and that means finding the right balance between living with it and mitigating the risk. “It’s like the flu. Some of us will get it, some of us won’t. And I think we just have to learn to live with it and accept that it’s the new norm.” © 2022 The Canadian Press