Eastern Ontario's top doctor hopes for normal school year
Eastern Ontario's top doctor hopes the new school year will be as "normal as possible", suggesting closing down schools or imposing new restrictions will pose a higher risk to children than COVID-19.
Teachers, students and parents are preparing to return to school in September for the fourth school year since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2019-2020, 2020-21 and 2021-22 school years featured temporary school closures, classroom closures and cohorts in schools at various times.
In his weekly address on the COVID-19 situation, Eastern Ontario medical officer of health Dr. Paul Roumeliotis said layers of protection in the community would help schools this fall.
"I do believe that it’s important for the kids to go back to school as normal as possible," Dr. Roumeliotis said.
"As a pediatrician, I can tell you that I believe the risk of closing down and doing all these restrictions in schools is probably higher than the risk of COVID at this point, although again we need to do our best to vaccinate everybody and use all the other layers of protection as well."
The Eastern Ontario Health Unit is reporting a low uptake of the COVID-19 vaccine for children under the age of 5 since its approval this summer.
Through the summer, the health unit has been "strongly recommending" people take steps to protect yourself and others from COVID-19, including staying up to date on the COVID-19 vaccine, wearing a mask in public indoor settings and crowded outdoor events where distancing is difficult and staying home if you are sick.
Dr. Roumeliotis says the health unit is continuing the rollout of the fourth dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, saying it has helped decrease hospitalizations and severe disease in the region.
The Ontario government will announce the next steps of its "Plan to Stay Open" on Thursday. Health Minister Sylvia Jones said Wednesday that the plan will create stability in the province's health-care system and aid in the post-pandemic recovery.
Looking ahead to the fall, eastern Ontario's top doctor says there will be tools in place to deal with any future COVID-19 waves.
"I do believe that 2023 … perhaps would be the beginning of the end of the pandemic. We still another couple months but we do have the tools," Roumelitois said.
"We have the bivalent vaccine, we have antivirals that we will have a lot of information about … so all those tools in place make me more confident that we'll be able to withstand any little wave."
Several vaccine manufacturers are developing formulas that take into account the more infectious Omicron COVID-19 variant that has been driving cases. The new bivalent vaccine is expected to target the COVID-19 variant.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
RCMP uncovers plot to sell drones and equipment to Libya
The RCMP says it has uncovered a plot by two men in Montreal to sell Chinese drones and military equipment to Libya illegally.
Demonstrators kicked out of Ontario legislature for disruption after failed keffiyeh vote
A group of demonstrators were kicked out of the legislature after a second NDP motion calling for unanimous consent to reverse a ban on the keffiyeh failed to pass.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
Man wanted in connection with deadly shooting in Toronto tops list of most wanted fugitives in Canada
A 35-year-old man wanted in connection with the murder of Toronto resident 29-year-old Sharmar Powell-Flowers nine months ago has topped the list of the BOLO program’s 25 most wanted fugitives across Canada, police announced Tuesday.
Doctors ask Liberal government to reconsider capital gains tax change
The Canadian Medical Association is asking the federal government to reconsider its proposed changes to capital gains taxation, arguing it will affect doctors' retirement savings.
Keeping these exotic pets is 'cruel' and 'dangerous,' Canadian animal advocates say
Canadian pet owners are finding companionship beyond dogs and cats. Tigers, alligators, scorpions and tarantulas are among some of the exotic pets they are keeping in private homes, which pose risks to public safety and animal welfare, advocates say.
Thieves use stolen forklift to rip cash machine out of U.K. bank
Police in the U.K. are searching for a group of suspects seen on video using a forklift to steal a cash machine from a bank.
'There was a lot of black smoke': Crane operator sounds alarm while trapped during highrise fire in Halifax
A tower crane operator alerted emergency crews after noticing a fire on a construction site in Halifax Tuesday morning.
Cherry blossoms blooming in Canada: Here's what to know
There is a swaying sea of colour in some cities across Canada, and it's a sure sign of spring: cherry blossoms are in bloom.