More than 900 TDSB staff are working in schools while waiting on vaccine exemptions
More than 900 unvaccinated Toronto District School Board (TDSB) employees are working with students past the board’s deadline while awaiting vaccine exemptions.
According to the school board, 920 unvaccinated staff are still in schools with children. While the board posts the vaccination status of their staff publicly online, they have not previously disclosed information on how many of these employees are still working in schools.
In total, 1,093 staff members have asked for medical or creed-based exemptions to the TDSB's vaccine policy. Staff had until Nov. 19 to get their first dose of COVID-19, and until Dec. 19 to receive their second to be considered fully vaccinated.
TDSB spokesperson Ryan Bird said that reviewing medical and creed-based exemption requests is “complex” and is taking longer than anticipated. “Final decisions on many of these requests will be shared in the upcoming weeks,” Bird said.
In many cases, Bird said the process requires the board to “gather more information from the employees.”
As of Nov. 25., the TDSB had approved four medical exemption requests and zero creed-based requests, according to data on staff vaccination status.
“It’s important to note that any unvaccinated staff member must meet the Ministry of Education requirement to conduct rapid antigen testing three times per week,” Bird said.
At the moment, there is no indication that COVID-19 cases discovered in Toronto schools are linked to unvaccinated staff members, Bird said. “We're making sure that we're keeping track of those staff and they're testing to make sure that they aren't sick when they're coming in.”
According to the TDSB, over 88 per cent of their staff members are fully vaccinated.
“As we move through this process that number will continue to go up,” Bird said.
Anyone who applied for a medical exemption and is denied will have 45 days from when they were denied to get a vaccine dose, and will have to get tested bi-weekly during that time.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Poilievre will do 'anything to win,' must condemn Alex Jones endorsement: Trudeau
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is ramping up his attacks on Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre as he promotes his government's federal budget.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
New evidence challenges the Pentagon's account of a horrific attack as the U.S. withdrew from Afghanistan: CNN exclusive
New video evidence uncovered by CNN significantly undermines two Pentagon investigations into an ISIS-K suicide attack outside Kabul airport, during the American withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
All Alberta wildfires to date in 2024 believed to be human-caused: province
There are 63 wildfires burning in Alberta's forest protection area as of Wednesday morning and seven mutual aid fires, including one in the Municipal District of Peace.
7 surveillance videos linked to extortions of South Asian home builders in Edmonton released
The Edmonton Police Service has released a number of surveillance videos related to a series of extortion cases in the city now dubbed 'Project Gaslight.'
Suspects waving weapons, smashing glass in Toronto jewelry store robbery caught on video
Arrests have been made after five men were captured on video rampaging through a jewelry store in Toronto, waving weapons and smashing glass display cases.
Pilot proposes to flight attendant girlfriend in front of passengers
A Polish pilot proposed to his flight attendant girlfriend during a flight from Warsaw to Krakow, and she said yes.
Ottawa injects another $36M into fund for those seriously injured or killed by vaccines
The federal government has added $36.4 million to a program designed to support people who have been seriously injured or killed by vaccines since the end of 2020.