But the York Region mother says she doesn’t think air filtration and ventilation in classrooms have gone far enough to keep students and staff safe. “This is absolutely not a popular stance, and the thing is, it’s not a popularity contest,” Hanwell told Rebecca Zandbergen, host of CBC radio’s London Morning. “Politicians right now are the ones making these decisions and they’re the ones who care about popularity, not public health.” Hanwell and other parents have created the Ontario School Safety group, which has about 20 dedicated volunteers but more than 400 people who have supported the cause through financial donations. He says they are considering legal action against the province to see the masks return to schools. They would also like to see other measures returned, such as better access to rapid test kits and reporting of cases in schools. WATCHES | The wave of respiratory illnesses is reviving the debate about indoor coverage:

The wave of respiratory illnesses is reviving the debate about indoor coverage

Hospitals are seeing a flood of children who are seriously ill with respiratory viruses, reigniting debate over whether mask mandates should be rolled back. This comes as Critical Care Services of Ontario reported 122 children were being treated in pediatric ICUs across the province. Ontario has a total of 112 pediatric intensive care beds. Dr. Lennox Huang, an intensivist and chief medical officer at the Toronto Hospital for Sick Children, told the CBC that Toronto’s hospitals have reached a “crisis point for pediatric care across the province.” “All of our forecasts … would point to things getting worse before they get better,” Huang said. Hanwell says the team understands there are a lot of people who are angry and parents want their children to have a “normal” school year. She says that’s what her team wants too. “We understand that, we understand why you may have stopped covering, we understand the pressures of wanting to get back to what we call normal,” he said. “We want Ontario open for business, open for learning.” Students at Albert Campbell Collegiate Institute, in Scarborough, participate in a protest after the Ontario government lifts the mask mandate in schools in March 2022. Some Ontario parents have formed the group Ontario School Safety and are lobbying the province to reinstate mask and other measures in schools to limit the spread of COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses. (Evan Mitsui/CBC) Hanwell said with layered protections like masking, ventilation and hand washing, “that we can keep things open, that we can continue our activities and keep our kids in their sports and clubs and keep them in school where they need to be . Everyone agrees – the kids are the best at school.”

It covers a layer of protection, says mom

Kate Laing is a mother in Waterloo Region and has heard people argue that she can just send her own children to school wearing masks. She did that and says her son came home with COVID-19 within days of school starting in September. “Vaccines are part of it, but they’re not a silver bullet. Coverage is one of those layers that we know really reduces the spread of airborne viruses,” Laing told Craig Norris, host of CBC Kitchener-Waterloo’s The Morning Edition . “We saw that with the decline in flu last year — it was virtually non-existent because we were covering. And now that we’re not covering the flu, RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) and COVID are now all on the rise and it’s causing this crisis in pediatric health care that we’re in right now,” he said.

Prime Minister, Chief Medical Officer Promotes Vaccine

Earlier this week at a press conference, Prime Minister Doug Ford was asked if his government would reinstate mask mandates, particularly in schools. Ford said he would follow the advice of Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Kieran Moore of Ontario. “I would wear a mask when you can, if you’re at risk and you get your flu shot, get a vax shot as well,” Ford said. CBC News asked Moore if he would consider bringing masks back to schools to limit the spread of COVID-19, RSV and other respiratory viruses. In an emailed statement, he instead encouraged people to get their COVID-19 shots and boosters and their annual flu shot, as they “remain the best tool for keeping people healthy and out of hospitals.” . “The bivalent vaccine, along with continued access to testing, antivirals and up-to-date public health guidance, gives Ontarians the tools they need to make the best decisions for themselves about how to stay safe and healthy,” she said. the notice sent by email. “The ministry, including the Office of the Chief Health Officer, continues to work with public health units during the respiratory disease season and monitor the impact on the health system. At the same time, we are investing in health care staffing and health care capacity building to to ensure Ontario patients get the care they need.”

Hanwell and Laing say the group of parents they speak to don’t think these statements go far enough. Ontario’s School Safety group is looking at what legal options are available to force the province to implement measures like face coverings to limit the spread of respiratory viruses this school year. “Most of us have written letters, signed petitions, had meetings with people from teachers, school principals, school boards are members of provincial parliament, calling and writing to the premier,” Hanwell said. “So we’re looking at legal action because that might be the thing that can really force them to do their duty to create safe enough schools.” Laing says the team also wants to hear from more parents about their experiences. “We’re ready to go far. We just have to make sure we educate parents … and teachers about why this is big,” he said.

title: “These Ontario Parents Want The Province To Make Masks Mandatory In Classrooms Again " ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-16” author: “Theodore Sims”

But the York Region mother says she doesn’t think air filtration and ventilation in classrooms have gone far enough to keep students and staff safe. “This is absolutely not a popular stance, and the thing is, it’s not a popularity contest,” Hanwell told Rebecca Zandbergen, host of CBC radio’s London Morning. “Politicians right now are the ones making these decisions and they’re the ones who care about popularity, not public health.” Hanwell and other parents have created the Ontario School Safety group, which has about 20 dedicated volunteers but more than 400 people who have supported the cause through financial donations. He says they are considering legal action against the province to see the masks return to schools. They would also like to see other measures returned, such as better access to rapid test kits and reporting of cases in schools. WATCHES | The wave of respiratory illnesses is reviving the debate about indoor coverage:

The wave of respiratory illnesses is reviving the debate about indoor coverage

Hospitals are seeing a flood of children who are seriously ill with respiratory viruses, reigniting debate over whether mask mandates should be rolled back. This comes as Critical Care Services of Ontario reported 122 children were being treated in pediatric ICUs across the province. Ontario has a total of 112 pediatric intensive care beds. Dr. Lennox Huang, an intensivist and chief medical officer at the Toronto Hospital for Sick Children, told the CBC that Toronto’s hospitals have reached a “crisis point for pediatric care across the province.” “All of our forecasts … would point to things getting worse before they get better,” Huang said. Hanwell says the team understands there are a lot of people who are angry and parents want their children to have a “normal” school year. She says that’s what her team wants too. “We understand that, we understand why you may have stopped covering, we understand the pressures of wanting to get back to what we call normal,” he said. “We want Ontario open for business, open for learning.” Students at Albert Campbell Collegiate Institute, in Scarborough, participate in a protest after the Ontario government lifts the mask mandate in schools in March 2022. Some Ontario parents have formed the group Ontario School Safety and are lobbying the province to reinstate mask and other measures in schools to limit the spread of COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses. (Evan Mitsui/CBC) Hanwell said with layered protections like masking, ventilation and hand washing, “that we can keep things open, that we can continue our activities and keep our kids in their sports and clubs and keep them in school where they need to be . Everyone agrees – the kids are the best at school.”

It covers a layer of protection, says mom

Kate Laing is a mother in Waterloo Region and has heard people argue that she can just send her own children to school wearing masks. She did that and says her son came home with COVID-19 within days of school starting in September. “Vaccines are part of it, but they’re not a silver bullet. Coverage is one of those layers that we know really reduces the spread of airborne viruses,” Laing told Craig Norris, host of CBC Kitchener-Waterloo’s The Morning Edition . “We saw that with the decline in flu last year — it was virtually non-existent because we were covering. And now that we’re not covering the flu, RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) and COVID are now all on the rise and it’s causing this crisis in pediatric health care that we’re in right now,” he said.

Prime Minister, Chief Medical Officer Promotes Vaccine

Earlier this week at a press conference, Prime Minister Doug Ford was asked if his government would reinstate mask mandates, particularly in schools. Ford said he would follow the advice of Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Kieran Moore of Ontario. “I would wear a mask when you can, if you’re at risk and you get your flu shot, get a vax shot as well,” Ford said. CBC News asked Moore if he would consider bringing masks back to schools to limit the spread of COVID-19, RSV and other respiratory viruses. In an emailed statement, he instead encouraged people to get their COVID-19 shots and boosters and their annual flu shot, as they “remain the best tool for keeping people healthy and out of hospitals.” . “The bivalent vaccine, along with continued access to testing, antivirals and up-to-date public health guidance, gives Ontarians the tools they need to make the best decisions for themselves about how to stay safe and healthy,” she said. the notice sent by email. “The ministry, including the Office of the Chief Health Officer, continues to work with public health units during the respiratory disease season and monitor the impact on the health system. At the same time, we are investing in health care staffing and health care capacity building to to ensure Ontario patients get the care they need.”

Hanwell and Laing say the group of parents they speak to don’t think these statements go far enough. Ontario’s School Safety group is looking at what legal options are available to force the province to implement measures like face coverings to limit the spread of respiratory viruses this school year. “Most of us have written letters, signed petitions, had meetings with people from teachers, school principals, school boards are members of provincial parliament, calling and writing to the premier,” Hanwell said. “So we’re looking at legal action because that might be the thing that can really force them to do their duty to create safe enough schools.” Laing says the team also wants to hear from more parents about their experiences. “We’re ready to go far. We just have to make sure we educate parents … and teachers about why this is big,” he said.