Students in B.C. and Alberta return to classrooms today

The latest:

Students in Alberta and British Columbia are returning to classrooms on Monday after an extended holiday break.

The question of when students should return to class, and under what conditions, has been a subject of debate across the country as provinces and territories shifted plans in the face of the fast-spreading Omicron variant.

Rapid tests and medical-grade masks will be distributed through Alberta schools, provincial officials have said, with all schools expected to have their initial shipment by the end of this week.

“Both rapid tests and masks will be shipped in phases,” read a statement issued by the province last week.

Edmonton Public