The Ottawa-Carleton School Board Voted To Bring Masks Back Despite Provincial Rules

If you live in the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board region, you might want to head out and buy a new jumbo pack of masks because your kids might need them.

OCDSB announced in a tweet on Tuesday at 11:12 p.m. that masks will once again be required in their buildings for staff and students despite the provincial mask mandate having been lifted weeks ago.

"Tonight, the Board of Trustees passed a motion requiring mask use in all OCDSB buildings. Staff are developing an implementation plan and will provide additional clarification shortly," reads the tweet.

According to CTV News Ottawa, the Board of Trustees voted on the issue on April 12 and decided to bring back masks within OCDSB buildings with a majority in favour of the motion.

CTV News Ottawa reported that the motion focused on points of increased absences and high COVID-19 rates within Ottawa. They believe that bringing back masks could control the spread of COVID-19 and help make schools safer.

"In light of the significant increase in COVID-19 cases in the City of Ottawa and impacts on employees and students, including increased staff absences and class closures, and recognizing recent statements from the Chief Medical Officer of Ottawa regarding masking in schools as means to control the spread of the virus, staff be directed to require, from an occupational health and safety perspective, mask use in all OCDSB buildings until such time as Ottawa Public Health may explicitly advise otherwise," reads the motion.

Trustees against the motion

However, not all trustees were on board with the motion and several flagged that it may be difficult to enforce now that the provincial mask mandate has ended.

"Essentially the mandate is pointless and offers a false sense of security, and will place an unnecessary burden on staff, on administrators, on teachers, who will be the ones chasing people down with a mandate you can't even enforce," said a student trustee, Charles Chen.

Camille Williams-Taylor, OCDSB director of education, pointed out that while the motion has "the best of intentions," she worries that it will put their staff "on the front line" and force them "to manage a very divisive public health policy debate."

Trustee Mark Fisher, who championed the motion, argued that the board had a "duty of care" to provide a safe learning space for their students.

According to CTV News Ottawa, the vote concluded with eight trustees in favour, one trustee and two student trustees against the motion, and three trustees choosing to abstain from the vote.

Details on when the mandate will begin and how it will be enforced are to come shortly, according to OCDSB.

Narcity reached out to OCDSB for comment, but they did not respond in time for publication.