Parents, teachers in four provinces prepare to return to class as Omicron spreads

OTTAWA — Parents and teachers in four provinces are preparing for students to return to the classroom on Monday as the Omicron variant-fuelled wave of COVID-19 continues to spread.

Kids in Ontario and Quebec, Canada’s largest provinces, will resume in-person learning after their governments delayed their return in the face of record-setting case numbers over the holidays.

Ontario today reported 3,595 patients hospitalized with COVID-19, with 579 in intensive care. 

The latest figures represent a drop from the day before, but Health Minister Christine Elliott tweeted not all hospitals report their COVID-19 numbers over the weekend. 

Quebec, meanwhile, says hospitalizations rose by 105 over the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of patients to 3,300. 

Manitoba and Nova Scotia will also send kids back to the classroom on Monday, with Nova Scotia being the only province in the Atlantic region to be doing so. 

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While public health experts, parents and officials agree that in-school learning is best for children, school boards, families and unions say they’re bracing for an increase in staff absences because of the virus. 

Ontario and Nova Scotia also plan to supply students with rapid antigen tests as one of the safety precautions to keep schools open. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 16, 2022

The Canadian Press