Extended school holiday may pose greater risk, says Ottawa's top doctor

As Ontario's minister of education weighs whether to extendwinter break in a bid to control COVID-19 transmission, Ottawa's medical officer of health says there could be higher risks keeping the kids home.

"I think we need to take a look at the whole picture of the importance of schools and what they're providing," said Dr. Vera Etches on Tuesday.

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Education Minister Stephen Leccesaid Tuesday he will be meeting with Ontario's Chief Medical Officer of HealthDr. David Williams, as well as members of the provincial COVID-19 command table, to decide what actions to take to control spread of the virus.

"I am seriously looking at solutions that may include some period out of class," said Lecce.

Quebec Premier Franois Legaultconfirmed Tuesday that his government is also firming up a plan to keep school children home for one to two weeks after Christmas as a kind of "quarantine" following family holiday gatherings.

School environment lowers risk: Etches

Etches said that whilekeeping kids at home could mean fewer contacts to trace compared to the much higher number of contacts when attending class, it would also mean sending them home topotentially face higher risk.

"Those contacts in the school environment are occurring in a setting with quite a few protections," said Etches about the myriad of actions taken inschools to control transmission from daily screening and cleaning protocols to distancing and mask-wearing.

Moreover, when classes, schools or daycares are forced to close because of outbreaks, Ottawa Public Health (OPH) has seen the risk of transmission for those kids go up once they leave that controlled environment.

"We have seen transmission, for example, in private care settings when daycares are closed," said Etches, "So I think we need to take a look at the whole picture the importance of schools and what they're providing."

School is source of 'normalcy': parent

Malaka Hendela,who has a child in Grade 4 in the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board,saida decision to delay in-class learning after the Christmas holiday will have consequences for working parents. The delay will also affect kids, saidHendela.

"School is our source of normalcy right now," said Hendelawho is also co-chair of Ottawa Carleton Assembly of School Councils.

• Small fraction of students test positive for COVID-19 in Ottawa's largest school board

Etches said OPH has also heard a lot of feedback from parents about the critical importance of schools for thefamily's well-being.

"People learned from when schools were closed how important it is to keep them open," Etches said.