More health restrictions needed to keep children safe, Sask. epidemiologist says
As COVID-19 cases increase in Saskatchewan youth, medical experts say more restrictions are needed in schools to stop the transmission of the virus.
On Thursday, 24 per cent of the province’s new cases were in children under 12 and more than 15 schools are dealing with COVID-19 outbreaks.
An epidemiologist with the University of Saskatchewan said cases are increasing among young children because of a lack of pandemic restrictions in schools.
“We should not have had a policy of opening schools without any very clearly articulated government directives and government-imposed health orders,” Dr. Nazeem Muhajarine said. “We knew the Delta variant was spreading.”
He said the current system of having each school division come up with their restrictions is a “piecemeal approach” that won’t work long term.
The Ministry of Health said it is approaching COVID-19 exposures in classrooms differently than in the 2020-21 school year.
In the 2020-21 school year full classrooms would isolate if there was exposure.
The province’s new isolation rules state students who are symptomatic or have been deemed a close contact and are showing symptoms must isolate. If a student is exposed but is fully vaccinated or not showing symptoms, they can attend class.
In a statement to CTV News, the Ministry of Health said its approach is based on prioritizing the importance of in-class learning and vaccination rates among those over 12 years-old within the school community.
“When cases are identified in schools, schools and school divisions will continue to be notified by public health officials in order to inform students and parents,” the province said in a written statement. “Contact tracing will continue to occur in school settings, as has been the case throughout the pandemic. This year’s approach also includes distributing testing kits to schools across the province.”
The Saskatchewan School Board Association (SSBA) is also leaving vaccine policies up to school divisions.
On Thursday the Prairie Valley School Division said it has had 31 cases impacting 11 schools since the start of September. One classroom was moved to online learning for two weeks due to COVID-19 transmission.
When asked about transmission in schools the division’s director of education Luc Lerminiaux said there is always concern.
“Honestly I defer to our medical health experts to help us out. It’s not for me to question what their advice is, it’s simply to seek it and put it in place in our schools,” Lerminiaux said.
Elizabeth Middle School in Kindersley moved completely to online learning on Tuesday due to COVID-19. The Sun West School Division said 273 students will be learning remotely until October 5.
Muhajarine said the province needs to step in and enact more health orders to keep children in the classroom and slow the spread of the virus.
He said a good step would be to limit gathering sizes and mandate proof of vaccination, or a negative COVID-19 test, for those in schools who are old enough to get vaccinated.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.