Toronto District School Board says students 12 and older must be vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to play competitive winter sports such as basketball, hockey and swimming.
In a statement Friday, the board said the decision is directed toward winter sports that involve “competition between schools, mixing of students and travel to other TDSB schools and/or external venues.”
The board said the decision is consistent with Toronto Public Health’s (TPH) messaging and recommendations. Students who wish to participate must update proof of their full vaccination to the Service Now APP. For students who may not be able to be vaccinated, the TDSB said it will work with TPH to develop a plan.
Get weekly health news
The TDSB also noted many venues and locations where these sports are played already have vaccination requirements in place.
“Sports and other activities are important to students’ mental and physical health and overall school experience and TDSB staff have been working over the past several weeks to safely re-introduce some school sports and teams,” the board went on to say.
- Genetic testing program pioneered in Maritimes improving cancer care in Canada
- Saskatchewan mother calls for safer football helmets after son’s head injury
- Opioid use among Ontario seniors an ‘overlooked and evolving crisis’: study
- Canadians in Nigeria warned to avoid alcohol amid methanol-related deaths
With the recent approval of the COVID-19 vaccine shot for children aged five to 11, the TDSB said it will again work with TPH on any “additional vaccination requirements for this age group as necessary.”
Comments
Want to discuss? Please read our Commenting Policy first.