Epidemiologists differ on how schools should be involved in any return to locking
The possibility of COVID-19 forcing another school closure crisis spread to Theresa Morris, as her seven-year-old child returned to Surrey, B.C, at school about a month ago.
Last spring, Morris struggled to teach his daughter Azel school, her newborn son, George, and his homework. Earlier this school year, an increase in coronavirus cases in the Lower Mainland led their family to keep Azel at home. Then in mid-September, Morris tested positive for COVID-19.
She had minor symptoms and recovered within two weeks of being isolated on her own without her partner and young children. Meanwhile, Azel’s frustration with distance education was even greater. By mid-October, the boy was back in school.
“She was very happy to go back to school, because she was a seven-year-old girl who just closed her mind, and going back was a great relief. For schools to close again and do this and I’m worried about her education,” said Morris, who saw three schools in his Fraser Valley Health district closed due to the outbreak. last weekend.
“Working at home and looking after a child and a seven-year-old child, I don’t know how I would have handled that. I don’t think I could handle that.”
Rising COVID-19 cases, which include internal Canadian schools, have sparked controversy over the possibility of further school closures being spread, with some suggesting an extension of the upcoming holiday break. But deciding when and when schools should be closed – and for how long – remains a matter of course.
As of Wednesday, Nunavut is becoming the first state and region of Canada to close schools on board again. All field classes were closed for at least two weeks, with teachers delivering instructions remotely, after re-uploading of COVID-19 more than doubled from the previous day to 60 high-level cases on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the premiers of Manitoba and Quebec have admitted that they are considering extending the next school holiday beyond two weeks already scheduled.
“The obvious thing to do is to add to the winter break after Christmas and New Year… so it could be a kind of separation for the kids before they go back to school following the family gatherings that will take place over the holidays,” Prime Minister François Legault told a news conference at COVID-19 on Tuesday. this idea last week.
Ontario Prime Minister Doug Ford on Monday called for the closure of private schools and, as a “last resort,” warned of an unavoidable winter break, in his daily news conference on Tuesday.
This comes after Ontario Education Minister Stephen Lecce commented that he was consulting with health officials about the January school screening, but did not make a decision.
He looks at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which guides school decision-making, which measures key indicators such as the number of new cases per day and the level of compliance tests next to the second indicators such as hospital performance and community outbreaks.
“I don’t think there is a lot of closure in the whole province. University of Ottawa position in health sciences.
However, you think an extended vacation can bring a timely opportunity – if it comes with a particular caveat.
“During the Christmas break, you don’t go to parties, you don’t go to fun. Just not being in school is not the solution. Not being in school and not participating outside of school,” Deonandan said.
“Because there will be school closures however, as part of the holidays, it is an opportunity to keep the children at home for perhaps a week – and to close other things – to see if we can use this time to end the cycle of circuit breakers.”
“Circuit violations that violate the circuit cycle” – which create severe restrictions include shutting down unnecessary services, but with a view to termination – are defined in most regions. However, whether schools should be included in these types of student closures has been a difficult question. Many public health officials say schools have shown, not routinely, public transmission of coronavirus.
If the data does not show that schools contribute to transfers, “I think it would be good to leave them open during the regional break.
A complete decision about using strict locking measures, however, cannot wait for a school holiday break, according to Saxinger.
“When you are in the midst of an epidemic, that wait until Christmas actually takes us back, because decisions about measures taken to reduce the spread of the disease are time consuming,” he said.
‘Things are not going well at all’
Virologist Jason Kindrachuk believes that some communities in Canada have already crossed the line to consider closing schools.