600 Summerside students to receive free reusable masks, downtown group says

Hundreds of students at a junior high in Summerside won't have to worry about finding a non-medical mask to wear on the first day of class, a local business organization says.

Downtown Summerside Inc. says ithas donated over 600 reusable fabric masks to Summerside Intermediate School.

Angie Arsenault, the organization's executive director, saidshe was worried about those students in households that may not be able to afford a mask.

"Themain thing we wanted was to make sure that all of these students were going to be able to have a mask no matter what," Arsenault said.

Students will be required to wear masks on buses and at certain times during the school day when they return to class as soon as Tuesday, the province's Department of Education and Lifelong Learning announced on Aug. 28.

Leading into the final weekend before classes resume, Public Health officials said Friday there were three active cases of COVID-19 identified on the Island that all involve international travel.

Arrive in style

A supply of masks in a variety of styles, from plain to flowerprint, were delivered tothe school at lunchtime on Friday, Arsenault said. The intention is that students will be able to collect one, take it home, wash it and reuse it.

Arsenault saidstudents from the schoolare also customers who "bring so much business" to downtown locations.

"The students leave at lunchtime and they walk downtown here and they get lunch at various businesses," she said.

HMS Office Supplies and The Medicine Shoppe Pharmacy provided the masks to Downtown Summerside Inc.

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