(File photo/paNOW)

By Derek Craddock

COVID-19

Teachers’ Federation concerned as COVID cases in children continue to rise

Sep 16, 2021 | 1:07 PM

Concerns are growing as more cases of COVID-19 are reported in schools in Prince Albert and across Saskatchewan.

In the latest update from the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) Wednesday, 475 new cases were reported, 104 of those in children under the age of 12.

The SHA started reporting cases for those aged 0-11 earlier this week, and since then the data shows roughly 20 per cent of new COVID cases are in this age group.

Those numbers are troubling to the Saskatchewan Teachers Federation (STF) who have been calling for stronger measures for weeks.

In a release issued Thursday, the STF urges the provincial government to take action and implement measures to protect students and staff.

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“We are putting our children at unnecessary risk, and it has happened against the advice of many of Saskatchewan’s medical community,” said STF President Patrick Maze. “Teachers and school staff are doing everything in their power to protect students in their classrooms but without consistent, protective measures in place, Saskatchewan children who are too young to be vaccinated will pay the price.”

During an executive meeting on Aug. 16, the STF asked the government to mandate vaccines for all eligible school staff and students and implement mandatory measures. The STF reiterated that call earlier this week along with a request to immediately instate several measures provincewide including a Public Health Order for masks and mandatory isolation and providing a detailed breakdown of case counts, hospitalizations and ICU admissions for additional age categories of those under 19 years.

Maze said those calls have been ignored and said parents are concerned.

“And now our numbers have skyrocketed both in the province and in the schools and that’s really unfortunate because that has put our staff and students at risk unnecessarily and that’s what we depend on the government for is to enact measures to keep us safe,” he said.

The Saskatchewan Rivers Public School Division said in a release that it has had several cases of COVID affecting its schools and is working with local health authorities to communicate directly with the families and the school communities affected.

However, the division added they won’t be allocating staff time to tabulate and publish cases in schools more broadly as that data is shared publicly on the government’s website.

From Sept. 9 to Sept. 13, seven positive cases have been reported at different schools in the division including École Debden, Carlton High School, and Prince Albert Collegiate.

The Prince Albert Catholic School Division has reported over a dozen COVID-19 cases since the start of the school year.

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe announced Thursday a number of new measures will come into effect soon including mandatory masking rules for indoor public spaces and a vaccine passport system.

—

Derek.craddock@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @PA_Craddock