New Brunswick is launching a “mask-up campaign” as students and staff return to the classroom this week.
Under the yellow phase of recovery, students only have to wear masks at certain times throughout the day.
But the new campaign encourages students and staff to wear their mask throughout the day over the next two weeks.
“We’re strongly encouraging everyone in schools across the province to wear their mask throughout the day as an extra layer of protection,” Education Minister Dominic Cardy wrote in a letter to parents.
Cardy said they know that mask-wearing, combined with physical distancing, is an effective way to curb the spread of the virus.
Currently, students in Grades 6 to 12 have to wear a mask in common areas while students in kindergarten to Grade 5 are encouraged to do so.
All students must wear a mask as they approach and board school buses. Students in Grades 6 to 12 will have to keep wearing their masks while on the bus unless they are sitting alone or with someone from their household.
The “mask-up campaign” will run from Jan. 4 to 15.