Saskatchewan was the lone province to send kids back to school after the winter break.

Saskatchewan born Swift Current native, and Canadian Medical Association (CMA) President Katherine Smart, said it's not as simple as a yes or no answer if kids should have been sent back to school in the province.

"So you know schools are not a dichotomy of safe or unsafe," remarked Smart. "It's a graduation of how can you make environments where children are as safe as possible. Secondly, when we have to make decisions like closing down schools we have to ask what are the knockdown effects of that decision, and where are those children who are not now in school, and is that space safer for them in terms of not getting Omicron or getting other health complications from not being in school,".

Certainly, schools are not 100 per cent safe, as there have been cases of students and staff becoming infected. You can't stop that as it is going to happen, but steps can be taken to protect staff and children.

"I think it's important for parents and kids to understand, the most important thing about masking is having it on your face continuously," said Smart. "You can have the best mask in the world, but if you are taking it on and off all the time, it's not doing anything. It's really important that kids are comfortable in the mask, that it fits them well, and that they wear it continuously. With minimal time off the face. Obviously, kids have to eat and drink and those things, but that should be the only time they are not masked,".

While other provinces have their children learning from home, Smart added that it has been rare to see large outbreaks originating from schools throughout the pandemic.