Classes are slated to resume in much of Ontario next week, but families don’t yet know whether children will learn at school or at home as the government ponders the possibility of reopening amid unprecedented levels of spread of COVID-19.
“It’s making me very anxious. I feel like all week I have noticed that my stress levels have increased, ”said mother Laura Jackson in an interview from her home in South Mountain, Ontario, outside Ottawa.
Jackson said he would have preferred the government had a plan to ease his concerns. His daughter is four years old and still too young to be vaccinated against the virus. She and her husband are concerned that he will get sick, although they have both received three vaccinations.
“She loves her teachers and she loves what she’s learning, but at the same time, we don’t want her to have COVID either,” Jackson said. “At this moment there is nothing that has reassured the parents.”
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Ontario Sets Daily Record Of 10,436 New COVID Cases Since Pandemic Started
Ontario recorded a record 10,436 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, just days after the daily count surpassed the 10,000 mark for the first time since the pandemic began.
Hospitalizations increased by 235 people on Wednesday from the day before, with 726 now in the hospital with COVID-19.
Intensive care admissions also increased, with 190 people in intensive care due to the virus. Public health resources, such as testing and contact tracing, have been overwhelmed by the large number of cases.
With the highly infectious variant of Omicron driving similar unprecedented virus trends across the country, some provinces have decided to extend winter break for students and keep children out of class longer. Newfoundland and Labrador announced Wednesday that the learning would occur remotely starting Jan.4. while Nova Scotia and Quebec have extended student winter vacations to January 10.
Ontario was still considering its options in the middle of the week. Prime Minister Doug Ford said Tuesday that the announcement would come a few days after consultations with the medical director of health.
“We just want to see how things are going,” he said during a visit to a vaccination clinic in Mississauga, Ontario.
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Ontario schools announcement will come ‘in the next few days,’ says Doug Ford
On Wednesday, opposition parties asked the government for clarity on their back-to-school plan, highlighting the need for more advanced security measures at schools and a clear plan for testing and contact tracing.
“It is simply ridiculous that with only a few days to go, no one knows what is happening on Monday,” NDP leader Andrea Horwath said in an emailed statement.
Horwath said the New Democrat’s position is that schools should not be closed if department stores and sports arenas are still open and attract large crowds.
But he said the government should have prioritized schools and used the vacation period to make them safer with plans for regular tests, better masks and better ventilation.
In a virtual press conference, liberal leader Steven Del Duca criticized the government for not taking enough steps to make schools safer, after closing them for long periods of time before the pandemic.
“Once again, we are in a position to have a lot of anxiety about what is supposed to come next or what is to come next,” he said.
He asked Ford to consult with families and experts on the best course of action.
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Opposition Leaders Call For Clarity On Ontario Back To School Amid Omicron Spread
“If that ultimately means we have to delay reopening schools for a few days, or a week or two, then I’m comfortable with that,” he said. “But… it will be a failure of epic proportions for Doug Ford to just say, ‘We’re going to delay schools a day or a week or two weeks or a month, and then we won’t do anything else to make schools better and safer for our people. children and our workers ”.
A spokeswoman for Education Minister Stephen Lecce said the government is committed to protecting students, staff and families, but did not give a specific date for the decision on opening the schools next week.
“Every step of the way, we have implemented the advice of the Medical Director of Health,” said Caitlin Clark, also noting government actions already taken, such as ventilation upgrades, portable air filters, school vaccination clinics and COVID-testing. 19 for students. .
As for Jackson, he said that he had been mentally preparing for his daughter to stay home after the holidays, and he warned his daughter that she may not be able to return to school.
“I feel like having low expectations has helped a bit, but I don’t like the unknown, I don’t think anybody likes it,” Jackson said.
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© 2021 The Canadian Press
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