Children’s Health Coalition urges Doug Ford to pursue 'cautious approach' to COVID-19 reopening
The Children’s Health Coalition (CHC) is urging the Doug Ford government to pursue a “cautious approach” to reopening the province amid a fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The coalition, composed of a number of children’s health organizations including SickKids and Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, is calling on the government to “double down” on the current measures that are being used to keep schools open and protect the health of youth.
“Children and youth must be a priority in the pandemic recovery – for the sake of their future and the sake of our province’s future. We must stay the course in our schools, while always looking ahead and acting swiftly to prioritize the needs of children and youth,” the CHC said in a statement issued on Friday.
The statement comes ahead of an expected announcement from the government on lifting further public health restrictions next week.
The CHC emphasized the importance of in-person learning and acknowledged that current public health measures to limit virus spread are working to protect students.
“Data from Public Health Ontario suggests that the overall efforts to limit virus transmission, such as masking, distancing and vaccinations, have been successful with less than a 0.25 per cent (approximately 4,768 cases between September 5 and October 2) of Ontario’s two million student population testing positive and an average of 2 to 3 cases per school outbreak,” CHC said.
The coalition also noted that among the total number of cases in children and youth between Sept. 19 and Oct. 2, 79.5 per cent were not linked to school outbreaks.
On Oct. 15, 80 school-related COVID-19 cases were reported among Ontario’s 4,844 public schools and three schools were closed due to outbreaks.
The coalition added that protecting the well-being of those aged five to 11 who are ineligible for a COVID-19 vaccine is crucial for keeping schools open.
“That means the rest of us – teachers, support staff, eligible students, parents, caregivers and the community at large need to get vaccinated and continue with known public health measures such as masking, distancing and staying home when sick,” CHC said.
To support long-term safety, the CHC said it supports mandatory disclosure of COVID-19 vaccination in schools for eligible children and youth.
Earlier this week, sources told CTV News Toronto that the provincial government is expected to announce its plan to exit Step 3 of its reopening plan next week, potentially removing capacity limits for restaurants, gyms and other settings.
Last week, the Ford government abruptly lifted capacity limits at select indoor and outdoor settings that require proof of vaccination, including sports venues, theatres and concert arenas.
However, there continues to be a 50 per cent indoor capacity limit for gyms and restaurants, resulting in backlash from some of those businesses who are calling the measures unfair.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trend Line Anger, pessimism towards federal government reach six-year high: Nanos survey
Most Canadians in March reported feeling angry or pessimistic towards the federal government than at any point in the last six years, according to a survey by Nanos Research.
BREAKING 14 suspects arrested in grandparent scam targeting seniors across Canada: Ontario police
An interprovincial investigation into a 'grandparents scam' that targeted seniors across Canada has led to the arrest of 14 suspects, Ontario Provincial Police say.
Motion to allow keffiyehs at Queen's Park fails
A motion to reverse a ban on the keffiyeh within Queen’s Park failed to receive unanimous consent Thursday just moments after Ontario Premier Doug Ford reiterated his view that prohibiting the garment in the House is divisive.
B.C. child killer's lawyer walks out of review hearing
The lawyer representing child-killer Allan Schoenborn walked out of his client's annual review hearing Wednesday – abruptly ending proceedings marked by tense exchanges and several outbursts.
How to avoid the trap of becoming 'house poor'
The journey to home ownership can be exciting, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew warns about the trappings of becoming 'house poor' -- where an overwhelming portion of your income is devoured by housing costs. Liew offers some practical strategies to maintain better financial health while owning a home.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Juror dismissed in Trump hush money trial as prosecutors ask for former president to face contempt
Prosecutors in the hush money trial of Donald Trump asked Thursday for the former president to be held in contempt and fined because of seven social media posts that they said violated a judge's gag order barring him from attacking witnesses.
Why drivers in Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada will see a gas price spike, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
It's the biggest election in history. Here's why few Indians in Canada will take part
In the Indian general election that gets underway on Friday, almost a billion people are eligible to vote, but a vast majority of the overseas Indian community in Canada won't be casting a ballot.