Quebec’s health ministry weighs in amid report on classroom air quality tests

Quebec’s health ministry confirmed in a statement Friday that the province’s public health department and Quebec’s public health institute (INSPQ) did work on the file about air quality in schools amid the COVID-19 pandemic — but says it did not go so far as to validate the Education Ministry’s protocols.

Radio-Canada reported on Thursday that Education Minister Jean-François Roberge and his ministry had never received the approval of public health authorities concerning the methods used to check air quality and carbon dioxide (CO2) levels in school classrooms.

Quebec’s Health Ministry said Friday that the participation of public health and the INSPQ had been requested by the Ministry of Education, but that public health had only issued recommendations concerning the methods used for air quality control, without going so far as to approve them.

“Last November, the public health director of the MSSS was consulted on the study proposal on CO2 levels in schools and commented on this proposal. The public health director, and not the Ministry of Education, then asked the INSPQ to make certain recommendations,” the health ministry wrote.

READ MORE: Legault defends education minister amid report on school air quality tests

“Several comments from the INSPQ were also forwarded to the education ministry concerning the air quality assessment protocol. The comments made by public health experts were accepted and integrated by the ministry.”

The issue of air quality in classrooms has been a hot topic during the pandemic in Quebec. In November, a study found classrooms showed significant ventilation problems and CO2 levels above acceptable levels, which could favour the transmission of COVID-19.

2:14 School ventilation problems continue to stir debate

A report commissioned by Roberge, however, found that school service centres and school boards have taken the appropriate measures to ensure indoor air quality. The ministry announced additional tests to measure CO2 levels in classrooms would be carried out by service centres starting last December to ensure current standards are being met.

On Friday, the health ministry also maintained that public health has “been consulted and commented on” the guidelines on the ventilation of schools issued last January.

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In those guidelines, released on Jan. 9, the education ministry did not recommend the installation of air purifiers in schools across the province. Instead, the ministry suggested regularly opening classroom windows to ventilate the space.

The health ministry confirmed that it had access to the results of the air quality tests carried out by experts that were appointed by the education ministry. However, it doesn’t say that public health had approved them.

1:53 School air quality tests: Quebec opposition parties call for education minister to resign

“Public health is continuing its mandate to protect the health of the population and is working in concert with a multitude of departments, agencies and other organizations in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Dr. Horacio Arruda, director of Quebec public health.

“Regarding the issue of air quality in schools, we also collaborated on an ongoing basis with the education ministry.”

The statement comes after Quebec Liberal Leader Dominique Anglade called for Roberge’s resignation, saying that he had lied to Quebecers each time he said that public health had validated the method for sampling air quality in classrooms.

“I believe that the minister has really just signed his letter of resignation and that he must leave his post, period,” she said.

The co-spokesperson for Quebec solidaire (QS), Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, also said that Roberge lied “to families, to the public and to parliamentarians,” but didn’t go so far as to demand his resignation.

“The cat is out of the bag,” he said. “What Jean-François Roberge did is very serious. He has exploited public health to cover up his own negligence in the air quality file.”

Quebec Premier François Legault came to the defense of his minister, who was absent from question period on Thursday.

— With files from Global News’ Kalina Laframboise