Reader letter: Ontario government can do much more to avoid school closures

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Re: Health unit reopens St. Joseph’s high school following COVID outbreak, by Mary Caton, Sept. 22

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Closing a school due to a COVID-19 outbreak is unfortunate and preventable in my view — if good policies had been in place.

We appreciate that the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit is taking action to monitor cases and conduct contact tracing. In addition to this, the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO) has been asking the provincial government since July, 2020 to reduce class sizes, improve ventilation and ensure all children age two and up are masked when indoors.

And from the moment vaccines became available, RNAO has also insisted that all educators be vaccinated. This is what Spain did for the 2020-2021 school year with almost no outbreaks afterwards in the entire country.

Last year, Ontario students missed more days of instruction than any other province. The interruption in learning that we are already seeing this year is likely to affect Ontario’s students academically and socially, as well as add burden to the already complicated lives that COVID-19 has handed to their parents.

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Despite the reopening of St. Joseph’s Catholic High School, on Sept. 22, it is imperative that the province act urgently to prevent further closures this fall and winter when cooler temperatures will further heighten chances of transmission.

If Spain can do it, so can Ontario.

Doris Grinspun, CEO Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO)
Toronto

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