B.C. teachers raise COVID concerns ahead of back to school

Some teachers in B.C. are raising COVID-19 concerns with the union, with the return to class nearly upon us amid an ongoing pandemic.

BC Teachers’ Federation President Clint Johnston says members want free masks available for anyone who needs them. They’re also continuing to push for better ventilation and increased cleaning.

“We do have some members reaching out and we’re reassuring them, as always, we’re pushing for these standards and as always employers should take an individual employee’s health needs into consideration in a situation like this as well,” he told CityNews.

“We’re certainly, as I said, concerned about the cleaning if it is backed off at all. Cleaning in general, I’m not sure the public is aware, is not as often as they think it is in schools and we know that’s a really important aspect of disease transfer, so we’d like to see that cleaning stay up and high.”

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Last month, the BC Centre for Disease Control put out its back-to-school advisory for parents, students, and staff, listing out its recommendations for the return to class.

The BCCDC has suggested that cleaning of high-touch areas needs to happen at least once a day. The province adds while general cleaning “will occur regularly,” cleaning of “frequently touched surfaces” will happen more often, “for example, once in a 24-hour period” as well as “when visibly dirty.”

The agency notes that if someone develops symptoms while at school, they should be “supported to go home” until they feel better, adding “appropriate infection control precautions should be taken while the person is preparing to leave the school premises.” That includes the “use of appropriate hand hygiene and cleaning/disinfection of surfaces soiled with bodily fluids.”

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Above all, Johnston is stressing the importance of staying home if you or your child is not feeling well.

“The one thing that we would want everyone to remember is what was effective was if you were sick or symptomatic, you stayed home. Seems like that’s an important one,” Johnston explained, adding the days when parents would send their kids to school with a sniffle are long gone.

“There became a real awareness that when you’re symptomatic you should stay home.”

Meanwhile, the province says vaccines will be key to keeping COVID-19 cases down in schools. It is expected to release more details about its booster program Tuesday morning.

“Families are strongly encouraged to ensure their children have received their COVID-19 vaccine, and are up to date on all their routine vaccinations before they start or return to child care or school. This is particularly important in advance of respiratory illness season and as more activities return indoors, including learning,” B.C.’s education and health ministries say in a statement.

It notes children aged five to 11 who have gotten their primary COVID-19 vaccines are now eligible for a booster six months after their second dose. Families should expect to receive invitations for these additional shots.

Meanwhile, kids six months and older are also now eligible for COVID-19 vaccination.

-With files from Dean Recksiedler