The provincial government says it will announce a number of measures Thursday toward ensuring a safe return to school next week.

Premier Andrew Furey and Education Minister Tom Osborne will make the announcement outside Waterford Valley High School on Topsail Road in St. John’s at 1 p.m.

Osborne made the initial announcement on Tuesday, noting masks will be mandatory in the classroom for students in grades 7 to 12 where face-to-face physical distancing of one metre cannot be maintained. He also said public exams scheduled for January have been cancelled and the department is looking at whether or not June exams will proceed.

Additional buses will be in place by the end of September to ensure that all students who are eligible for school busing will have access.

The province says discussions are continuing on issues such as school ventilation, among other things.