TORONTO, Jan. 7, 2021—Ontario’s doctors say schools in regions with high rates of COVID-19 should not reopen Monday and that online learning should continue for at least another month to help stop the alarming spread of the virus.
At the same time, there are some children in vulnerable circumstances who depend on in-school supports, as well as children of essential workers, who require an in-person option.
All elementary school students in Ontario along with secondary school students in the northern half of the province were scheduled to shift from online learning to in-school learning on Jan. 11. Secondary students in southern Ontario were due to return in person on Jan. 25.
However, since the winter break began, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of COVID cases in the province, with a record 3,519 people testing positive for the virus today despite the province-wide lockdown that began on Boxing Day.
Since the pandemic began, more than 200,000 Ontarians have contracted the virus. It took 266 days to reach 100,000 cases; the next 100,000 took only 48 days. Many hospitals and their intensive care units are at or near capacity.
“It’s really unfortunate that we find ourselves in a position of needing to advocate for keeping kids home,” said Dr. Samantha Hill, president of the Ontario Medical Association. “Simply put, the situation necessary for sending kids back to school requires measures that can’t be in place by Monday.”
Ontario’s doctors recommend the reopening of schools to in-person learning be accompanied by public health measures that have been proven to reduce the spread of COVID-19: better ventilation in schools, mandatory mask wearing, more testing in schools and more contact tracing.
Recommending that children continue to learn from home is not something doctors take lightly. All health-care workers on the front lines of the pandemic see the consequences this past year has had on children’s mental health and social development. “We don’t want to send children back to school until we are sure it’s safe. We also don’t want to send them back for a couple of days, only to have to bring them home again a few days later,” said OMA CEO Allan O’Dette. “Ontario’s doctors also encourage Premier Doug Ford to follow Britain’s example and develop in-person learning opportunities for vulnerable families and children of essential workers until all children can return to school in person.”
The Ontario Medical Association represents Ontario’s 43,000-plus physicians, medical students and retired physicians, advocating for and supporting doctors while strengthening the leadership role of doctors in caring for patients. Our vision is to be the trusted voice in transforming Ontario’s health-care system.
For more information, please contact:
Aleks Dhefto, OMA Media Relations
media@oma.org