Back to school, again: A sneak peek at the next wave of in-person learning

Windsor, Ont. -

Schools in Windsor-Essex and Chatham-Kent will have their share of new N95 masks by week’s end.

The Ontario government said Tuesday they have deployed more than nine million non-fit tested N95 masks to schools and four million three-layer masks for students.

“That’s what we’ve been asking for,” says Cathy Abraham, president of the Ontario Public School Boards Association.

“Every teacher will have a supply of (N95) masks and from what I understand is it will be good for a month. What I will say to that is, that’s fantastic.”

The government has also cleared the way to allow retirees to come back to work, for longer.

The agreement with the Ontario Teachers’ Federation will allow retired teachers to work for up to 95 days, instead of 50, to help during the omicron surge in the province.

GECDSB staff load N95 masks onto a board truck for delivery to local schools in Windsor, Ont. on Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2022. (Michelle Maluske/CTV Windsor)

“I don’t see those retirees chomping at the bit to get into the system at this point,” says Erin Roy, president of District 9 of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation.

Roy is also concerned with how COVID cases will be tracked in the schools. 

“I would like to know if there is COVID in the school when I’m sending my children,” says Roy.

CP24 News has obtained a seven-page Ministry of Health document, which outlines the new guidance for Ontario schools.

Here is a link to those details.

Dr. Peter Juni, a member of the Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table believes the government needs to prioritize schools and get them open because he says the safety measures are in place, to keep staff and students safe.

“Between the combination of vaccination, first dose, second dose, good masks you know, good three-layered cloth mask or even better, good ventilation and cohorting,” says Dr. Juni.

Minister of Education Stephen Lecce will hold a news conference Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. with regards to the back to school plan.

GECDSB staff load N95 masks onto a board truck for delivery to local schools in Windsor, Ont. on Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2022. (Michelle Maluske/CTV Windsor)