To mask or not to mask in schools, that is the hot potato

The political hot potato has been passed again. 

Education Minister Dominic Cardy couldn't have been any more clear on Wednesday. He said Public Health told his department to remove all mandates from classrooms, and if Public Health wants to reimpose a mask order, Public Health will have to do it. 

"Otherwise, you're left with politicians making political decisions," said Cardy. 

He said he has always followed the science and listened to the recommendations of medical experts — and that's exactly what he intends to do this time as calls come from all directions to make masks mandatory in schools again. 

"Ultimately, it is up to the folks who go to university for many years and acquire skills and competencies that I do not have to provide us with recommendations."

The bottom line, he said, is that it's Public Health's responsibility "to determine public health rules for the province of New Brunswick. And I will continue to support them in that, because that's really the only choice we have." 

Cardy sends issue of mandatory masking in schools back to Public Health

3 years ago

Duration 1:14

Premier Blaine Higgs and Dr. Jennifer Russell have both said the Department of Education could choose to make masks mandatory in schools after provincewide restrictions were lifted. Education Minister Dominic Cardy responded to questions after those statements.

Earlier in the day, the province's Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Jennifer Russell said her department only recommended that the Mandatory Order should be lifted.

"It wasn't really about recommending people not wear masks," said Russell. 

"And there's nothing to preclude education from imposing their own rules around masking. But I will leave that to education."

Cardy clearly isn't going to take her up on that offer until her department recommends it. 

"If Public Health chooses to make additional recommendations to government, I can tell them that I will happily support those measures because I expect that they will be based on science. And I'm here to support science and evidence under all circumstances. To this date, there have been no such recommendations made," he said. 

The Health Department was asked whether it wants masks in schools and whether it will make that recommendation to the Education Department, but a response was not received by publication time. 

Several medical experts have criticized the government's lifting of mask mandates in schools in recent weeks. And neighbouring Nova Scotia reversed its decision to remove mask requirements in that province's schools.

After first saying it would, Nova Scotia did an about-face three days before students returned to classes from March break.