Calls for safer schools continue in York Region in spite of additional measures

'I will be wearing N95s now that we are not forbidden from wearing them'

Yorkregion.com
Jan. 17, 2022
Dina Al-Shibeeb

In spite of new safety measures in schools amid the highly transmissible Omicron pushing up new records of COVID-19 cases provincewide, parents and educators continue calling for a safer learning environment in the ever changing face of this pandemic.

Previously, teachers would be reprimanded by York Region public board if they opted to wear N95 masks, but the province later stepped in to provide them in advance of schools reopening Jan. 17.

“I will be wearing N95s now that we are not forbidden from wearing them and I will continue to wear my goggles as well,” said York Region educator Sarah Gibson Neve, who teaches 29 students in her hybrid kindergarten class.

Having to teach pupils who are too young to be vaccinated, Gibson Neve feels “strongly” about the “availability of PCR (polymerase chain reaction) testing, tracing and notification to parents.”

The province said it will no longer provide PCR testing in schools but only to certain students and teachers who show symptoms of COVID-19. The province has also changed the threshold when notifying parents of COVID-19 circulating in schools if absentee rate reaches 30%.

Previously, the threshold was a transmission between two or more students. However, the ministry of education also clarified that parents will have access to the absentee rates before absenteeism reaches 30%.

This new change is terrifying for Gibson Neve.

A week before the winter break, the mother of two received notification of a COVID-19 outbreak at her son’s school. “We pulled him and he learned from home that last week and we found out later that there was also COVID-19 in one of the activities he does outside of school,” she said. “Had we not been informed, we would likely have sent him to the activity and spent the entire winter break isolating and waiting for illness.”

Also, it’s an issue when people have elderly and immunocompromised family members or attend church, such as is the case of Gibson Neve.

“It's important to us to be able to make informed decisions in how we are choosing to interact,” she said, noting her husband is a primary school teacher.

Ryan Imgrund, the York Region biostatician with a strong social media presence, described it’s more unsafe now in comparison to when schools started in early January.

“Since Jan. 3, Ontario’s reproduction number has been above one. That means we have more cases today than we did on Jan. 3,” Imgrund said. “This translates to more infectious people being out there.”

Ontario has also shortened the isolation period from 10 to five days following the onset of symptoms for people with COVID-19 who are vaccinated, as well as children under 12.

“The five-day isolation rule for kids under 12 with COVID symptoms ensures more children will be in the classroom when they are most infectious,” said Imgrund. “More infectious children in a classroom with no real safe schools action taken since Jan. 3 is a recipe for disaster.”

Licinio Miguelo, spokesperson for York Region District School Board, wrote in an email, “We continue to review the new guidance and measures from the provincial government.”

“We have received non-fit tested N95 masks as an option for school-based staff members,” Licinio added. “We also worked with York Region Public Health to offer and promote educator-focused vaccination and booster clinics, as well as promoting other GTA-area vaccination clinics.”

On Jan. 12, Education Minister Stephen Lecce said students and staff in child-care centres and schools will be given two rapid antigen tests to use if they have symptoms of COVID-19.

The ministry also said that there are 3.9 million rapid tests that are on the way before Monday. These rapid tests are being supplied weekly to students and staff.

Despite these attempts, Newmarket parent Shameela Shakeel, who is attempting to run as a candidate for the Liberal Party, suspects this Jan. 17 return date will result in more students opting for online learning.