Read on Twitter
1/ I support a full time return to school but we need to do this safely and responsibly.
Ontario’s plan (and that of many other provinces) is not responsible and in particular it puts the most vulnerable members of society at risk of #COVID19.
https://www.tdsb.on.ca/Portals/0/docs/Ministry%20of%20Education%20-%20Guide%20to%20Reopening%20Ontario's%20Schools.pdf
Ontario’s plan (and that of many other provinces) is not responsible and in particular it puts the most vulnerable members of society at risk of #COVID19.
https://www.tdsb.on.ca/Portals/0/docs/Ministry%20of%20Education%20-%20Guide%20to%20Reopening%20Ontario's%20Schools.pdf
2/ We know COVID disproportionately affects low-income, racialized residents & this back to school plan puts these communities directly at risk.
TPH data shows 51% of cases live in low-income households & 83% of cases id'd as racialized https://www.toronto.ca/news/toronto-public-health-releases-new-socio-demographic-covid-19-data/
TPH data shows 51% of cases live in low-income households & 83% of cases id'd as racialized https://www.toronto.ca/news/toronto-public-health-releases-new-socio-demographic-covid-19-data/
3/ Specifically this plan calls for no restrictions on class sizes for elementary. Pre-COVID class sizes make it impossible to physically distance w/in classrooms & for younger kids it will be nearly impossible to physically distance, monitor symptoms & continuously wear masks
4/ From our experience so far children are less likely to have severe outcomes from COVID-19. And our understanding is evolving on whether they may or may not be less likely to transmit the virus.
5/ But regardless of how effectively they transmit the virus with all the children going back to school some will clearly be vectors and when they get COVID-19 some will almost certainly bring COVID-19 home to their families.
6/ For example, in Thorncliffe Park, a community served by my hospital, there are >2000 students from kindergarten to grade 5. Earlier in this pandemic Thorncliffe park saw higher rates of infection than neighbouring communities at 602 cases/100,000. https://twitter.com/jyangstar/status/1277289649376018432?s=20
7/ These families will have to send their children to school. They are unlikely to have the choice to form homeschool "pods", hire tutors or continue virtual learning. They live in multigenerational homes w/ older at risk family members w/ limited space to self-isolate.
8/ From TPH data 27% of COVID-19 cases in Toronto were among individuals who live in households with five or more people, which may be overcrowded and provide limited space for people who test positive to self-isolate without transmitting the virus to family members.
9/ These are the families that filled up our ICU in the spring. We need to create safe plans for schools now to prevent families like these from being hospitalized and in the ICU again in the fall.
10/ So what can be done?
First and most importantly we must keep community numbers low. This will require all of us to act responsibly and to continue testing, contact tracing, etc. We also cannot be afraid to walk things back from stage 3 if numbers are rising.
First and most importantly we must keep community numbers low. This will require all of us to act responsibly and to continue testing, contact tracing, etc. We also cannot be afraid to walk things back from stage 3 if numbers are rising.
11/ Smaller classes – that requires investment and creativity. Lots of good ideas using nontraditional spaces, outdoor learning - Let’s look to other countries who have done this successfully and give ourselves a chance at success. https://www.brookings.edu/blog/education-plus-development/2020/07/06/reopening-the-world-reopening-schools-insights-from-denmark-and-finland/
12/ We need to develop established protocols to give schools a roadmap for how to deal with cases of COVID-19 in schools when they arise. We have 5 weeks before labour day and there is a lot of work to be done.
13/ We also need in-school support: onsite public health nurses & links to infection control & outbreak management expertise. This allows for rapid testing, return to school assessments, & in school Flu Shots. This year more than ever we need to minimize other viruses.
14/ And so many other details that need to be worked through now (and should have been thought about since the day schools closed in March).
Time is short and the current plan needs significant improvement before any of us can feel safe sending kids back to school.
Time is short and the current plan needs significant improvement before any of us can feel safe sending kids back to school.
