OCDSB delays emergency meeting on vaccine, mask rules

About two weeks before the start of itsschool year, Ottawa's largest school board has delayed a debate ongoing beyond provincial requirements to mandate both vaccines for many school usersand masking for kindergartners.

The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB) had planned thediscussion for a special board meeting Tuesday evening, but after a long in camera session the meeting was adjourned before a debatecould happen.

Board trusteesagreed there was not enough time to dive into the rule changes and areexpectedto schedule another meeting in the coming days.

Trustee Lyra Evans has several motions she will propose at the meeting: three relate to mandating vaccinesfor educators, for volunteers in schools andfor users of school buildings.

The others would require masks for kindergartners and a medical education plan for students, including having school-based vaccine clinics.

All motions will need to be voted on and, if passed, ratified at a follow-up meeting.

OPH comfortable with return to class

As part of his public health update at Tuesday's meeting Dr. Brent Moloughney said parents and staff can feel "comfortable and confident" in a return to in-person learning because Ottawa's case numbers and hospitalizations are at a manageable level.

Ottawa's deputy medical officer of health said Ottawa Public Health supports masking for kindergartners as "they don't have the best hygiene" and "they tend to cluster together," along with not being eligible for vaccines yet.

"Certainly the adults that are around children, it's important for them to be vaccinated, so we are supportive of any policy that's going to increase vaccination," Moloughney said.

He gave the caveat that it's up to the school board to decide what makes sense on an implementation front.

Ontario only requires students as young as Grade 1 to wear a mask in the classroom, and as announced last week, educators will also have to disclose their vaccination status. Those who are unvaccinated against COVID-19 will need to undergo regular testing.

• Ontario announces mandatory vaccine plans for health, education workers
• COVID-19 testing centres won't be crowded when schools return, OPH says

Evans saidthe board has a duty to consider there will be children in its schools who will not be able to get a vaccine for age or medicalreasons, including kids who are in Ottawa for treatment at its children's hospital.

"The province has not been strict enough and there are local considerations that might not be true in every area across the province," Evans said.

She said kindergarten-age children should be used to wearing masks while doing things such as shopping with their parents or playing with friends.

Parents support mandatory vaccination

Albert Stoffers said his daughter is that age and hedidn't have trouble getting her to wear a mask, but knows other parentswho have struggled with it.

"I think it should be pushed as best as possible as long as everyone understands that it's not going to work 100 per cent," Stoffers said.

He does agree with Evans on the vaccination front.

"I think any teacher going into the school should be vaccinated, certainly for the protection of the little ones."

He saidhe wishes the meeting had happened earlier to give parents and educators more time to prepare, but in general he's excited for his daughter to go back to school.

"It was amazing just to see how much they miss that social interaction with their friends and family of their age group," Stoffers saidabout this summer with fewer restrictions.

Parent Chris Redden, on the other hand, saidhe's nervous about the return to school.

He saidmore information about COVID-19 protocols earlier would have helped planning for the school year.

"I'm not surprised this happened to the last minute, but I'm also incredibly disappointed in the school board, in the government. They knew this was coming."

Tuesday'smeeting also heard from parents who both supported and didn't support mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations and masking.