Quebec issues mask mandate in schools across nine regions, including Montreal
Posted August 24, 2021 1:58 pm.
Last Updated August 24, 2021 6:58 pm.
MONTREAL – Quebec’s education minister says elementary and high school students will be required to wear masks inside classrooms in schools across nine regions of the province, including Montreal.
Jean-Francois Roberge said today the rise of the contagious Delta variant is forcing officials to take a cautious approach when classes resume.
The mask mandate applies to students in Grade 1 and up in nine regions, including Montreal, Monteregie and the Outaouais region in western Quebec.
Education Min: Public Health will study the situation & see if more regions will be added, but those not named will not need to wear them in class just in common areas & on the bus.
— CityNews Montreal (@CityNewsMTL) August 24, 2021
Students in the other regions, which include Quebec City, will have to wear masks in common areas of school buildings and on school buses but not in classrooms.
Roberge says the province will also gradually implement the use of rapid tests in some schools.
WATCH: Quebec teachers want more clarity on school measures
He says students will not be restricted to classroom bubbles, adding that they are expected to be able to attend classes in person full time, unlike last year when many grades were learning from home one day out of two.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 24, 2021.
