The Premier says that the attitude of parents during the pandemic affects the attitudes of their children.

As children return to school, Premier Brian Pallister says that he wants Manitobans to put trust into the province's health care professionals and leaders in education.

"COVID is not the only thing that is contagious, your attitude is too."

He says when people are "armchair critics" it can cause fear, particularly in children.

Pallister says parents and school leaders have been working to communicate with students about school safety.

"We have healthcare leaders who have years of expertise, we have education leaders that have made this their professional career, decades in some cases. Show some respect for those people."

He says health experts are working to create a safety plan for students.  He says having questions are normal and provincial leaders and health care professionals can answer them. He is cautioning against being critical to the point of causing fear in young people.

"Let's just keep working together and being kind and respectful to each other."

Pallister says that "armchair critics" could create fear in people, including children. Pallister says if people begin questioning everything leaders do, their children could become fearful about the pandemic and asks fear to be replaced with kindness.

"Our attitudes matter, and I ask people to just be kind, be respectful."