Masks will be mandatory in class in Quebec elementary and high schools

New rules were announced today for regions with high numbers of new cases.

Quebec Education Minister Jean-François Roberge has made official what almost everyone has seen coming for the past week. Masks will now be mandatory in the classroom for elementary and high school students, from Grade 1 up, as well as in hallways and school buses.

The new rules will apply to nine regions with high numbers of new daily cases of COVID, as advised by Quebec public health. The regions are Montreal, Laval, Quebec Centre, Estrie, Laurentides, Lanaudière, Mauricie, Montérégie and Outaouais. In other regions, masks must be worn by elementary and high school students in common areas and transport, but not in class.

The new directive is due in particular to the rise of the more contagious Delta variant of COVID, which appears to affect children more than the original and Alpha strains of the virus. Kids under 12 are not yet eligible to be vaccinated.

Masks are also required for students in CEGEP and university classes and other indoor common areas on school grounds.


For the latest in news, please visit the News section.