British Columbia will extend the holiday break for its students amid a rapid increase in COVID-19 infections – the first time the province has kept its classrooms closed to most children since schools across the country were shut down in the spring of 2020.
B.C.’s decision to extend the break was similar to that of Quebec, Manitoba and Nova Scotia as cases surge across the country, fuelled by the Omicron variant. The Newfoundland and Labrador government said on Wednesday that students would move online next week, and that the decision would be re-evaluated on a weekly basis. Ontario and Alberta are expected to announce their decision this week on whether schools will reopen as scheduled.
The British Columbia Teachers’ Federation had asked the province to delay the start of the winter terms as COVID-19 cases mount. The Omicron variant has “changed the pandemic,” the federation said in a series of tweets, and made recommendations on how to safely reopen schools, which included ensuring free N95 masks for staff and students.
Anna Banerji, an infectious-disease specialist and pediatrician at St. Joseph’s Health Centre of Unity Health Toronto, said that while she doesn’t want children to be out of school, there is a risk of cases ballooning after children return to school buildings following holiday gatherings, causing more disruptions to learning and potentially leading to school closings.
“We will be facing staffing shortages right from the get-go,” Ms. Estabrooks said. “We need a better plan here in Alberta for schools.”
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Wearing masks 0% effectiveness, physical distancing 0% effectiveness, testing is unreliable The only logical explanation vaccines are the blame the cause spikes in severe illness, and pointing to data that provided misinformation in their safety, effectiveness.
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