The NLTA is calling for mandatory face masks in schools and further tightening of public health precautions in light of a growing number of COVID cases in the province.
At least two clusters have been identified, one in Grand Bank and the other in Deer Lake.
Teachers’ Union President, Dean Ingram says schools are where all the viruses in circulation in a community meet.
He says the province cannot afford to wait to improve protection for students and points to the lessons learned in other Canadian jurisdictions.
Ingram says health and safety precautions which he calls inadequate to begin with, have been even further relaxed by non-essential access to schools for sports and other extra-curricular programs, without any additional precautions.
He’s calling for mandatory face masks, and physical barriers to ensure students and staff are as safe as possible.