The Saskatchewan NDP is calling on the province to implement mandatory vaccination for teachers and school staff included in its return-to-school plan released Wednesday.
According to Health Canada, Saskatchewan leads the country in COVID-19 test positivity rates and the lowest first and second dose vaccination rates. COVID-19 cases have also steadily increased over the past few weeks shown on the provincial website.
“The COVID-19 situation in our province is light years from pre-pandemic years. To be two weeks before kids are back in classrooms and have the premier, the health minister and the education minister missing in action isn’t just irresponsible, it’s dangerous,” said Carla Beck, opposition critic for education.
“Climbing case rates in school-aged children signal the coming school year could be lethal. We need urgent action now.”
The NDP’s return-to-school plan also includes thresholds to trigger masking, testing, and remote learning protocols, vaccine eligibility for all children born in 2009, in-school vaccination clinics and clear and consistent information and direction from public health experts.
“It is absolute madness to have no plan. No contingencies for outbreaks, no plan for rapid testing, no guidance on isolating if a child or teacher gets sick,” said Ryan Meili, NDP leader.
“There is so much anxiety out there, but Scott Moe is completely missing in action. Our premier’s truancy has failed everyone.”
Saskatchewan Medical Association and the Saskatchewan College of Family Physicians take similar stance
The Saskatchewan Medical Association (SMA) and the Saskatchewan College of Family Physicians (SCFP) are both calling on the province to reinstate previous public health measures — including mandatory masking.
“We are asking school divisions to enact measures that will mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in their schools, especially as the highly contagious Delta variant spreads in the province,” said Dr. Eben Strydom, SMA president.
“We want students to return to schools and have a rich learning experience, but schools must be safe for that to happen. The safety of our children is our paramount concern.”
Dr. Myles Deutscher, president of SCFP, shares a similar message.
“We need to do everything we can to protect our children who cannot yet be vaccinated,” said Dr. Deutscher, a Saskatoon family physician.
“COVID-19 is affecting children and with the more dangerous variants and increasing evidence of long-term effects of COVID, it is more important than ever to protect this population.
“The best thing everyone can do is get vaccinated, wear a mask, and practice hand hygiene in schools.”
Saskatchewan lifted all COVID-19 restrictions on July 11. Weeks later it announced schools would not require to follow any sort of restrictions in the fight against COVID-19.