Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation wants return of mask mandates, expanded PCR testing

Yesterday 
The Canadian Press


REGINA — The Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation wants the province to bring back a mask mandate because Canada's chief public health officer says COVID-19 cases are rising across the country.

The federation says it wants the Saskatchewan Party government to reinstate public health measures, including isolation requirements and increased case reporting to the public.

It also wants expanded PCR lab testing for teachers and all school staff who deal directly with students.

Lab testing in the province is currently limited to priority populations, including people with chronic illness, Indigenous communities with no access to rapid tests, international travellers from areas of concern and health-care workers.

Federation president Patrick Maze says the provincial government has a responsibility to keep students and staff safe.

Last week, the province's chief medical health officer acknowledged COVID-19 cases are increasing in Saskatchewan, but said masking would remain a personal choice, and added that children are less likely to experience severe outcomes from the virus.

"Learning to live with COVID-19 must mean learning to take appropriate and reasonable measures when the situation calls for them," Maze said in a statement Tuesday.

"The government’s decisions have left us with very limited data available to assess the risk in our communities. Absenteeism is unusually high for teaching staff and students, and there is a lack of available substitute teachers.”

The latest wastewater data from the University of Saskatchewan shows COVID-19 viral levels are up over 740 per cent in Saskatoon and 250 per cent in North Battleford.

Earlier Tuesday, Canada's chief public health officer said as public health measures have lifted across the country, there are indicators of COVID-19 increasing, driven by the highly contagious sub-lineage of the Omicron variant known as BA.2.

Dr. Theresa Tam said hospitalizations are also on the rise and advised everyone to get vaccinated, wear a mask and improve ventilation to limit the spread.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 12, 2022.

The Canadian Press