York Region Public Health is pushing for a return to in-person school next week and is encouraging parents to vaccinate their children against COVID-19 to make that safer.
Medical officer of health Dr. Barry Pakes said the health unit is advocating for in-person schooling at the provincial level. Following the holidays, the province paused a return in-person schooling until at least Jan. 17 to allow more time for vaccination efforts to reduce cases.
Pakes said reopening schools is important for the well-being of children.
“We are not only public health professionals, but we are parents and community members and we know the importance of children being in schools, for their mental, physical and social well-being,” Pakes said. “We are advocating for their return to in-person learning and continue to engage with schools and the province to support this.”
The province has announced a series of new measures to strengthen protocols for a return to school, including higher quality masks for school staff and prioritizing them for boosters. York Region Public Health is following that, with 15,000 appointment reserved for education workers at an upcoming weekend clinic.
But Pakes said it is vital for more children to get vaccinated. Approximately 50 per cent of York’s five to 11 population has at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine as of Jan. 6, a number he said needs to improve.
“The most important thing you can do to get kids back to sustain in-person learning is to get your child vaccinated,” Pakes said. “Without higher coverage, we may continue to see unfortunately high numbers of children visiting emergency rooms.”
He noted you can now walk into any York Region-led clinic to get a first or second dose, with no appointment necessary. Although the National Advisory Committee on Immunization recommends waiting eight weeks between doses, it does allow a second dose at least three weeks after a first, York Region and some other clinics will do that.
Pakes pleaded for the unvaccinated to change their minds. He said that though anyone can get infected, the unvaccinated make up a larger number of hospitalizations and deaths.
“Omicron is so transmissible that if you have not been vaccinated, you will likely get infected, and you may get seriously ill, even if you’ve had COVID already,” Pakes said. “Please take this opportunity now and get your first dose as soon as possible.”
Pakes said hospitalizations are at an all-time high, and this omicron-fuelled pandemic wave is overwhelming the acute care system. But he said there is a reason for hope, and modelling indicates the wave will peak and decrease more quickly than previous waves.
“We understand how frustrating the return of these (restrictions) can be, but we’ve seen through an experience they truly can make a difference, and hopefully, this time, they’ll be much more short-lived,” he said. “I’d like to thank everyone for adhering to the measures.”
