LaSalle student, 11, excited to return to school — but leery about sitting next to COVID-positive classmates

With the first day of school less than a week away for students across Ontario, 11-year-old Manridh Saini says he's excited to see his friends for what he hopes will be the first "fully normal" school year since the pandemic started.

But following the province's changes to its COVID-19 guidelines, the idea of being in a classroom full of students comes with concerns for Saini.

"Now that the rules are changed, they might be sick but just come to school. Hopefully, they quarantine for a few more days just in case, for others' safety," said Saini.

As of Wednesday, the province says people who test positive for COVID-19 can exit isolation 24 hours after their symptoms subside.

While it's recommended people mask up for 10 days after their isolation period ends, it is not mandatory to do so.

Saini said he would like to see mask-wearing mandated.

"Just because [other] people will know that they're sick,” he explained.

According to infectious disease expert Dr. Dick Zoutman, the former chief of staff of the Scarborough Health Network and a professor at Queen's University and the University of Toronto, the province's relaxed rules have left Ontario "flying blind" and "without protections" when it comes to tackling COVID-19.

"This is just getting more hazardous as we go forward," said Zoutman, adding now is not the time to be lifting restrictions as students head back to the classroom.

"Sick people are going to be circulating around the spreading this virus which is so infectious."

As for Saini, who's about to start sixth grade at Legacy Oak Trail Public School in LaSalle on Tuesday, he said he's more excited than ever to get back to a study routine.

He just hopes a potential breakout of COVID-19 cases doesn't hamper his school year, as it did over the last two years.

"COVID isn't gone yet. I think that they should make more safe rules, just so this virus could go away," said Saini.

"But with the rules that they made this time, it might start to get worse again."