Greater Victoria Teachers' Association calls for return of COVID-19 safety protocols as clusters increase in schools
Concern is rising for kids in Vancouver Island elementary schools. As of Monday, there are 10 COVID-19 clusters at schools being reported by Island Health, a total that's doubled in just four days.
"We have a problem right now that is not being addressed,” said Winona Waldron, president of the Greater Victoria Teachers’ Association.
A cluster is defined as two or more cases within a 14-day period, with evidence of transmission occurring within the school.
There are currently three clusters in schools in the Mid-Island, while the South Island has seven.
The hardest hit school in Greater Victoria may be Sir James Douglas Elementary in Victoria.
The president of the Greater Victoria Teachers Association said last week that half the students at Sir James Douglas weren’t at the school as they were either at home sick, or at home as a precaution.
In B.C., kids under 12 are the demographic with the highest rate of new COVID-19 cases. The transmission is being fueled by the delta variant.
Waldron says now is the time to bring back cohorts, move towards hybrid learning and make masks mandatory for children from kindergarten to Grade 3.
"I believe things are going to be changed," said Waldron on Monday. "They are very necessary at this point."
Not everyone is calling for change, however, including this parent of a 5-year-old.
"I feel like my son's school is doing the best that they can do to keep the kids safe," she said.
Waldron’s concern isn’t only for students. She says she spoke with a teacher in the Greater Victoria School District on Monday who, despite being fully vaccinated, is now seriously ill with COVID-19.
"She's double vaccinated and has contracted COVID, she believes at work, and is deeply concerned about what that means," said Waldron.
The teacher who has requested that her school and identity stay anonymous told Waldron that she was following all COVID-19 safety protocols and is currently "very ill" at home, recovering.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
BREAKING Ottawa public school board, 3 Toronto-area school boards launch lawsuit against social media giants
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and three school boards in the Toronto-area have launched legal action against social media giants, accusing them of "disrupting students' fundamental right to education."
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 mm among weather alerts in effect for 7 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres, air quality advisories and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Donald Trump assails judge and his daughter after gag order in N.Y. hush-money criminal case
Donald Trump lashed out Wednesday at the New York judge who put him under a gag order that bars him from commenting publicly about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and jurors in his upcoming hush-money criminal trial.
A fight to protect the dignity of Michelangelo's David raises questions about freedom of expression
Michelangelo's David has been a towering figure in Italian culture since its completion in 1504. But in the current era of the quick buck, curators worry the marble statue's religious and political significance is being diminished.
Doctors visiting a Gaza hospital are stunned by the war's toll on Palestinian children
An international team of doctors visiting a hospital in central Gaza was prepared for the worst. But the gruesome impact Israel’s war against Hamas is having on Palestinian children still left them stunned.
China's latest EV is a 'connected' car from smart phone and electronics maker Xiaomi
Xiaomi, a well-known maker of smart consumer electronics in China, is joining the country's booming but crowded market for electric cars.