The provincial government's plan for a return to in-person learning next week includes giving students and education workers two rapid tests to take home, a focus on school-based vaccine clinics and a shift to reporting absenteeism instead of COVID-19 cases.
"We believe so strongly that children need to be in school, that they are essential to the mental and physical health of a child and to their academic success," Education Minister Stephen Lecce said during a press conference on Monday afternoon. "We have been cautious throughout this pandemic that we've pivoted when required to ensure we protect our schools, our communities and our collective progress as we work together to get kids back to school and our lives back on track."
He said 3.9 million rapid tests are being shipped out so that as of Jan. 17, staff and children — starting with those in child care and elementary schools — will be given two rapid tests to take home in case they develop symptoms. Secondary school students will receive them on a needs-basis until supply increases.
"These tests are for use when symptomatic as outlined in the updated school and child-care screener that has been strengthened," said Lecce, with Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Kieran Moore saying that this was part of a new approach focused on "empowering" students and parents. 
Lecce added that more than 9 million non-fitted N95 masks are being sent for education and child-care staff. Another 4 million three-ply masks have recently been shipped for students.
Lecce said "time-limited cohorting protocols" would also be in place to limit contacts between students by pausing high-contact sports and not having children from different cohorts eat together.
He noted that a "stricter" screening tool will be in place, and that ventilation and boosting staffing has also been a focus, with 3,000 more HEPA units being sent to schools.
With Omicron spreading widely, there have been concerns about staffing shortages when schools reopen. Lecce pointed to previously announced funding that boards have used to hire more than 2,000 additional staff and a recent deal that would nearly double the number of days a retired teacher can work per year. The government also said it would expand the use of temporary certificates for teacher candidates so they can support schools facing shortages.
Meanwhile, the government also indicated it would that it would shift from reporting COVID-19 cases to monitoring absenteeism instead. Schools will be expected to monitor and report absenteeism to the Ministry of Education on a daily basis, with principals being tasked with notifying their public health unit when the rate among staff and students reaches 30 per cent.
At that point the school board and the public health unit would notify families through communication that could include reminders of infection prevention and control measures and the importance of screening. Reaching the 30 per cent threshold, however, wouldn't necessarily trigger a school closure, according to government officials, who said that significant staff absences could mean a shift to remote learning.
Moore said absenteeism data has been used for years for other viruses.
"Given the variation and reasons for absenteeism, a threshold of a rise of 30 per cent most likely would represent increased activity in the community and would be a point at which we would want to acknowledge that to review what's going on in the community and communicate that back to all parents," he said.
This also means that principals wouldn't have to inform families if there's a COVID-19 case in their child's class.
Asked about the rationale for this and how families are being empowered with less information, Moore said the government has modified its protocols because "Omicron is more transmissible, but less virulent as a disease." He added that the "empowerment" piece is through families having rapid tests at home and being able to use them if a child has symptoms to determine if they have COVID-19.
NDP education critic Marit Stiles said she was concerned about the threshold.
"I think a lot of parents are going to be wondering why it is that they have to wait that long to get that kind of information," she said. "What really struck me was it shouldn't be easier to find out if there's a lice outbreak in your kids' school than a COVID outbreak."
Meanwhile, with the vaccination rate for children aged five to 11 sitting at under 50 per cent, Lecce said there will be a focus on school-based vaccine clinics, which could occur before, during or after school with parental consent.
But the government still hasn't given any indication that it plans to add COVID-19 to the list of diseases that students need to be immunized against, despite calls from opposition parties and health professionals to do so.
"It is a new vaccine and as a result of that we want greater experience with it before we'd ever mandate it," said Moore, noting that he doesn't think any any jurisdiction in Canada has mandated the vaccine.
The province's top doctor continued, saying he'd like to see more uptake and that the vaccine has been shown to offer children significant protection in the United States against hospitalization and admission to the intensive care unit.
"I strongly believe in the benefits of the vaccination for this age group," he said.
Liberal Leader Steven Del Duca, who said he booked his two children in for vaccines as soon as they became eligible, took issue with Moore's comments, saying they undermined "all of the work that we have collectively been doing."
"What Dr. Moore did today, whether he meant to or not, was imply that somehow the vaccine has not been around long enough for parents to have comfort and confidence in its efficacy," said Del Duca. "I believe he should reflect on his comments, he should clarify his comments, and if he is unwilling to do so he needs to go, and he needs to go right now."
NDP Leader Andrea Horwath also said she found Moore's comments "very troubling," but didn't go as far as to call for his resignation.
Moore issued a statement late Wednesday afternoon in response.
<div>“I want to be clear that the paediatric Pfizer vaccine for children five to 11 is safe, effective, and provides strong protection against COVID-19 and variants," he said, saying the government is working with public health units, children's hospitals and health experts to answer parents' questions about the vaccine.</div>
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<div>"To date, millions of children aged five to 11 have received the paediatric Pfizer vaccine and are benefitting from the strong protection provided, and the overwhelming majority of side effects have been mild," he said. "I strongly encourage all children five to 11 to get the vaccine as soon as possible."</div>

School reopening plan includes rapid testing, alerting families when 30 per cent of school population is absent

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