'A sitting duck': Some teachers nervous as COVID-19 cases surge

Some teachers in Ottawa say they're nervous aboutbeing in the classroom as COVID-19 case counts surge.

Ontario declareditsthird provincewide state of emergency Wednesday,and is now under a strictstay-at-home order. In Ottawa, nearly 400 new COVID-19 cases were reported in the past two days and the city has now tiedor surpassed some previous records, including hospitalizations.

Schools in Ottawa are remaining open, however.

• Ontario imposes stay-at-home order
• Etches, CHEO say schools must stay open

Rachel Inch, who teaches Grade 8at Broadview Public School, says that doesn't make sense. On average she comes in contact with about 70 students each day between her two classes and lunch duty.

Inch said she feels like "a sitting duck," and thinks schools should close down for at least a few weeks.

"Even with the procedures that we have in place, there's just so many openings and the virus is just looking for the next host," Inch said. "As soon as it finds it, it's going to go like dominos."

• Significantly higher death rate reported for coronavirus variant

Inch said her school hasn't experienced an outbreak, but asthe variants of concern takehold in Ottawa, she is worried that streak won't last.

"It feels different this time around and the numbers are going up so quickly," Inch said."This variant is more scary because it's more contagious, it's more deadly, andit's affecting young people."

Keeping schools open may be safer for students than sending them home, teacher says

3 years ago

Duration 1:11

Ottawa teacher Luke Simoneau says keeping schools open may actually work better to stop the spread of COVID-19, as sending students home might result in kids gathering in groups away from the supervision of teachers and COVID-19 safety measures.

Measures don't go far enough: Teacher

The provincial government announced education workers in Ottawa who work with children with special needs can receive their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine during the April break.

The government said eligibility for other education workers in the city will expand as vaccine supply allows.

Krista Sarginson works at St. Leonard School in Manotick, which is currently closed due to an outbreak. She said the new measures announced by the province are good news, but don't go far enough.

Sarginson said there are too many grey areas when it comes to contact tracing within schools and that all teachers and education workers need to be prioritized for vaccine eligibility.

"Sometimes I think you're seeing cases that are not being connected that very well might be connected," Sarginson said.

While she doesn't want to see schools close for the rest of the year, she did express relief that her school is closed for now.

"It appeared to be spreading really quickly and may or may not be the variant," Sarginson said."It hit different this time."

School transmission low,Etches says

Ottawa's chief medical officer of health said keeping schools open is the priority and that the goal is to reduce community transmission of the virus. Dr. Vera Etches told CBC that in-school transmission is still quite low.

Teacher Luke Simoneausaid hiscolleagues who feel unsafe deserve to be heard, however, he agreesthat schools need to stay open.

Schools could have moved online before spring break to stem the growth of COVID-19 in Ottawa, trustee says

3 years ago

Duration 1:43

Mark Fisher, a parent and trustee with the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board, says high case numbers in the city justified moving to online learning in the week before the upcoming April break, which the school board ultimately decided against doing.

Simoneau teaches high school students at Cairine Wilson Secondary School and is concerned students would gather in big groups withoutthe structure and normalcy provided when schools are open.

"Which is what we've been seeing in community transmission among adults ... I think we would see it at least as much,if not more, amongst teenagers," Simoneau said.