Children returned from March Break across New Brunswick on Monday just as the provincial government lifted all remaining COVID-19 restrictions. 

But an online petition is calling for the province to maintain universal indoor masking in schools until at least the end of April.

"Removing universal masking protection in schools will negatively impact any member of the school community who is at risk, which is counter to the principles of inclusion in New Brunswick schools," the petition states. "It puts families in the position of needing to remove children from school to protect their vulnerable family members."

The petition had garnered more than 1,200 virtual signatures by Monday.

In an email, Flavio Nienow, a spokesperson for the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, said the department is aware of the petition. 

He said the department “supports individuals who wish to continue wearing a mask based on their own risk assessment and comfort level, and we will work with school districts to ensure that a supportive environment is maintained for everyone.”

For more on this story, CHMA spoke to Kathleen Gadd, one of the authors of the petition. She's a Mount Allison University graduate, and a mother of three young children living in Miramichi.