These are the COVID-19 protocol changes coming to Windsor-Essex schools after March Break

Changes in guidelines are coming for Windsor-Essex students, teachers and parents as the province moves to drop most COVID-19 measures in schools after March Break.

The Ontario government announced Wednesday that mask mandates will end in most indoor settings, including schools and child-care facilities.

Here are the changes for schools taking effect on March 21:

• No mask requirements for staff and students indoors or outdoors, except in special circumstances.
• Individuals may choose to wear a mask.
• Cohorting and distancing will no longer be required at school.
• Shared spaces such as libraries, labs, theatres and music rooms can now be fully utilized without restrictions.
• Daily confirmation of COVID-19 screening will no longer be required for students and staff.
• The province says it will still send rapid tests and personal protective equipment to schools and businesses, and ventilation and absence reporting will remain in schools.

Rules for isolation:

Isolation guidelines are being changed for close contacts of someone with COVID-19 or who is symptomatic.

No one who is a close contact of a person outside their household has to isolate now, though they are still recommended to wear a mask outside the home for 10 days and avoid high-risk people and settings. If a household member has COVID-19 or symptoms, people do not need to isolate if they are 18 or older and have received a booster dose. If they are under 18 and have two vaccine doses, or if they tested positive for COVID-19 in the previous 90 days.

Reaction to the changes:

The Greater Essex County School Board issued a statement about the shift in protocols.

“We are encouraged that the government of Ontario, in consultation with provincial medical professionals, has decided it will soon remove face mask mandates and other COVID-19 protocols in schools. It’s another indication that they believe and the data shows, things are close to returning to normal,” said the statement.

The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit supports the recommendations of the Ontario Chief Medical Officer of Health. Acting medial officer of health Dr. Shanker Nesathurai said he hopes everyone remains vigilant in following other public health recommendations, such as staying home when you are sick.

A coalition of children's hospitals, including Toronto's SickKids and CHEO in Ottawa, had urged the province to keep masks in schools for at least two weeks after March Break, saying that public health measures are what have kept schools open.

"We encourage everyone to continue masking in schools, if they are able," the hospitals wrote Wednesday. "We all want the pandemic to be a memory for our kids, not part of their day-to-day. But we're not quite there yet."

The president of the Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario expressed concern that lifting mask mandates in schools so soon would lead to another disruption to in-person learning and that the move is politically driven.

"Throughout the pandemic, Ontarians have relied on public health officials to lead with a science- and evidence-based approach," Karen Brown said in a statement.

"Unfortunately, it appears that a fast-approaching June election is influencing politicians' decisions to lift COVID-19 safety measures."

With files from The Canadian Press.