A new set of guidelines concerning face masks or coverings for kids in Canada is set to be released this week. 

With schools across the country getting ready to reopen in the fall, the federal government will soon be recommending that masks are worn by anyone over the age of 10.

“The recommendations will undergo evolution as the evidence changes and we’ll also have to see what happens as we understand transmission in different age groups and what happens in schools," explained Canada's chief public health officer, Theresa Tam. 

“We may have to adapt this recommendation as we go along.”

While it is still unclear how younger children transmit the virus, Tam noted that “older children over the age of 10 transmit as well as an adult."

She continued, "Younger kids, even though they transmit at a lower likelihood, they still can transmit. I believe in recommending the safest way to open schools. Masks play a role.”

Tam also urged Canadians to avoid stigmatizing children younger than age 10 who choose to wear a mask in school. 

Other “layers of protection” that will be introduced include re-arranging school environments to improve physical distancing and minimizing physical contact between teachers and students.

More details about the guidelines are set to be released by Friday, Aug. 7. 

A recent poll by Leger and the Association for Canadian Studies found that almost two-thirds of people believe children returning to school should wear masks at least part of the time.

The survey revealed that 62 per cent of Canadians think that children should be required to wear masks "either all the time at school/on school buses, or only outside of class during recess, lunch, and on school buses." 

The poll also found that 62 per cent of Canadians are worried about children going back to school at the end of the summer.