While many parents and students wait on the edge of their seats for school reopening news expected today, the province’s chief medical officer has shed some light on the decision-making process and why some schools have been opened, while others are still waiting.
During a news conference on Monday, Dr. David Williams provided some information on how the emergence of COVID-19 variants across Ontario have complicated back-to-school plans.
“Many experts have said the last place to close is the schools, and the first place to open is the schools, and that’s our first step. Then we’re going to look at other data, to see if the variants are rising, or if they’re holding steady,” said Williams.
“We have to advise based on that data,” he added.
The province announced last month that schools in York Region, as well Toronto, Peel, Hamilton and Windsor-Essex, would not re-open for in-person instruction before Feb. 10.
Williams referenced considerations the province has to make regarding testing capacity before schools can be opened in areas such as York Region.
“We’re looking at the data. We (opened) the north first because they had the lowest transmission rates. Then we did the seven rural health units that, again, had lower transmission rates. Then we looked at the lower end of the so-called red zone, which had numbers under 100 per 1,000, and asked them about considering opening schools,” he said.
Williams said testing capacity will be an integral component of school reopening, and health units need time to prepare to make sure local testing capacity is ready.
“Is it going to be such that the parents are not frustrated by the fact that they couldn’t get access to the assessment centres or couldn’t get appointments? (Would) the assessment centres then have a slower turnaround time like we experienced in the fall? We have put things in place to increase the capacity of our assessment centres,” he said.
Williams said much of long-term care testing is now being done within long-term care homes, which has freed up appointments at assessment centres in anticipation of students heading back to class.
“That way, if parents are concerned whether their child is asymptomatic or not, they could get the testing done, and in a timely way, and also be able to get siblings or parents done at the same time. We’re doing our part to make sure that’s ready,” he said. “We’re trying to make it as reasonable and accessible and rapid (as possible) so this is not seen as a barrier for parents.
“I’m hoping that by next week, by Feb. 8, to have our schools open. That’s the goal we’re striving for,” Williams added.
Minister of Education Stephen Lecce is to make an announcement later today.
Premier Doug Ford had said earlier Monday that while the province was still hoping to reopen schools by Feb. 10, a spike in cases could change that plan.
"That's our goal, Feb. 10," he said. " "If it's not safe we aren't sending them back."
Daily case counts in York Region have declined dramatically in recent weeks, from a peak of 507 cases on Jan. 9 to 105 cases on Feb. 2. Similar declines have occurred in the incidence rate, which has dropped from 201 cases per 100,000 population on Jan. 9 — the second highest in province, behind Peel Region — to 103 as of Feb. 2.
