There are hundreds of schools reporting COVID-19 cases on the government’s website, just two weeks into Quebec’s school year. But there is concern that the information doesn’t give a whole picture of the situation because the list doesn’t include CEGEPs.
“There’s cases at Vanier and Dawson and CEGEP Limoilou and a lot of the CEGEPS and there’s four cases at McGill and there’s cases almost everywhere,” said Covid Ecoles Quebec website founder Olivier Drouin.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, Drouin has maintained an online list of schools with COVID-19 cases on his website Covid Ecoles Quebec. His database is one of the only resources that includes affected CEGEPs.
The reason you aren’t reading about this elsewhere is because the ministry of higher education does not make its list public.
Drouin told Global News the information is necessary. “We need to know, we need to manage the risk, reduce the transmission,” he said.
Dawson College administration says they are transparent with students and staff. The school publishes a COVID update in its student portal and ‘DNews.’ The latest edition includes information on all seven cases reported since the return to class.
“Only six of them have physically stepped foot in the college and they’re all considered to be isolated cases,” said Dan Boyer, Dawson Student Services Coordinator.
Dawson students Global News spoke with said they are impressed with the school’s protocol.
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“I think its good that they post that information,” said student Jesse Sutherland.
Sutherland’s fellow student Julian Tiscion said, “It definitely shows that they care, definitely shows that they’re concerned about COVID and our safety.”
One of the most recent CEGEPs to be added to Drouin’s list is John Abbott College. He said concerned students and teachers contacted him about the situation.
“There was four-case outbreak in the English department,” he claimed.
A John Abbott spokesperson told Global News in an email that the college does not have more than two cases in one class, but did not confirm how many cases the school has in total. Adding information is shared internally.
Drouin argues that teachers he spoke to don’t even know if they’ve been exposed due to new rules put in place.
“There’s no system in place to support students if they’re isolated. There’s no remote learning,” he said.
The Ministry of Higher Education did not respond to our request by deadline.
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