Ontario’s Official Opposition/New Democratic Party calls for transparency on school COVID-19 cases and outbreaks
A News Release from Ontario’s New Democratic Party
Posted September 8th, 2020 on Niagara At Large
QUEEN’S PARK, Ontario — The Official Opposition is asking the Ford government to commit to posting a list online of all schools with COVID-19 cases, while maintaining the privacy of students and staff.
“Of course we all hope that COVID-19 doesn’t make its way into schools, but we believe parents, students and staff including supply teachers should be informed if it does,” said NDP Education critic Marit Stiles. “With so much pressure being put on staff, students and their families to monitor symptoms and follow protocols, they deserve information and transparency.
“The Ford government tried to downplay and hide the growing tragedy in long-term care homes as the virus swept in. We can’t let them make the same mistake with our children.”
The NDP successfully called for a list of long-term care homes with COVID-19 cases and outbreaks to be posted online. In the province of Quebec, where students returned to school last week, parents and educators also called for the list of COVID-19 cases appearing in school to be posted online, and that government agreed to do so (September 4th) late Friday afternoon.
A Brief Footnote from Niagara At Large –
Niagara At Large posted a statement from the Ontario Education Minister this September 7th on the efforts the government is making in concert with school representatives to make things safe in the province’s elementary and secondary schools.
This September 8th, the Ford Government circulated yet another news release under the heading – ‘Ontario Takes Extraordinary Steps to Reopen Schools Safely’. In that release, the government is at least requiring schools to report any cases of COVID-19 to regional public health authorities.
To read the government release, click on – <http://news.ontario.ca/opo/en/2020/09/ontario-takes-extraordinary-steps-to-reopen-schools-safely.html?utm_source=ondemand&utm_medium=email&
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