Hamilton schools will return to in-person classes on Monday
- Michael Kras
- 04 Feb 2021
As COVID-19 cases trend downward across Ontario amid lockdown and stay-at-home measures, the provincial government has announced that students in Hamilton, Brant, Haldimand-Norfolk, and Niagara will return to in-person class as of Monday.
This will be the first time since lockdown measures were instituted at the end of December that students will be back in class in-person with mandatory masking for Grades 1 to 12 as well as enhanced COVID-19 screening measures in high schools..
"Boards in Toronto, Peel and York will remain closed until Feb. 16." @thespec https://t.co/D7dJXG6j5R
— Hamilton Community Foundation (@HamCommFdn) February 4, 2021
With classes in Hamilton set to resume on February 8th alongside the city’s before and after school child care programs, some locals are skeptical about a safe return to in-person learning.
Case numbers in Ontario have dropped in recent weeks, but are still at uncomfortable highs of over 1,000 new cases reported each day. Many Ontarians are expressing concerns that reopening schools now will simply cause cases to spike once again and prompt even more lockdown measures in the near future.
However, Hamilton’s medical officer of health, Dr. Elizabeth Richardson, has publicly voiced her support for the reopening of schools in the city next week.
“While the decision to reopen schools ultimately comes from the Province and advice from the Chief Medical Officer of Health, I am supportive of schools reopening within Hamilton,” said Dr. Richardson in a statement.
“While there is no single measure that is used to make these determinations, we know that what happens in schools reflects what is happening in the community when it comes to COVID-19.
“With case numbers coming down, Hamilton Public Health Services’ capacity to support case and contact management improving, and our testing capacity functioning effectively, we agree with the sentiment that schools should be the first thing to reopen for the health of our children.”
Richardson also expresses that Hamilton public health will continue to work collaboratively with local school boards on implementing enhanced health & safety measures.
Do you think it’s a good idea for schools in Hamilton to reopen next week? Leave a comment below!
Read more on the city website.
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