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
Lawsuit against Meta asks if Facebook users have right to control their feeds using external tools
Do social media users have the right to control what they see — or don't see — on their feeds?
BREAKING 15-year-old boy stabbed in Ottawa on Thursday dies
A 15-year old boy who was critically injured after a stabbing in Nepean on Thursday has died of his injuries, Ottawa's English public school board said Sunday.
Dash cam catches moment suspected drunk driver hits parked car, sends it careening into North Shore flower shop
Police say it’s fortunate no one was injured or killed in a collision at North Vancouver’s Park and Tilford shopping centre Saturday evening that sent one vehicle careening into a flower shop and another into a set of concrete barriers outside a Winners store.
El Nino weakening doesn't mean cooler temperatures this summer, forecasters say
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Nylander defends Leafs' core after playoff exit, Toronto again picks up the pieces
The Maple Leafs battled back from a 3-1 series deficit against the Boston Bruins with consecutive 2-1 victories - including one that required extra time - in their first-round playoff series to push the club's Original Six rival to the limit before suffering a devastating Game 7 overtime loss.
Amid climate change warnings, Canadians lukewarm on electric vehicles
Amid scientists' warnings that nations need to transition away from fossil fuels to limit climate change, Canadians are still lukewarm on electric vehicles, according to a study conducted by Nanos Research for CTV News.
Three dead, two hospitalized, following collision in Fredericton: police
Three people have died and two have been hospitalized after a speeding car struck a tree and landed on another vehicle in Fredericton Sunday morning.
Montreal man on the hook for thousands of dollars after a feature on his Tesla caused an accident
A Montreal man is warning Tesla drivers about using the Smart Summon feature after his vehicle hit another in a parking lot.
Madonna's biggest-ever concert transforms Rio's Copacabana beach into a massive dance floor
Madonna put on a free concert on Copacabana beach Saturday night, turning Rio de Janeiro's vast stretch of sand into an enormous dance floor teeming with a multitude of her fans.