Unions, politicians call on Ontario to vaccinate teachers or close schools
by Holly McKenzie-Sutter, The Canadian Press
Posted Apr 6, 2021 1:39 pm EDT
FILE - In this March 2, 2021, file photo, science teacher Jennifer Becker.
Calls to vaccinate education workers against COVID-19 grew louder on Tuesday as some
Opposition leaders
NDP Leader Andrea Horwath said the government should “urgently” vaccinate education workers and use the upcoming April break to make other upgrades to classrooms.
“Parents, educators, and students across the province have been thrown into chaos once again,” Horwath said.
“We must use this moment to make classrooms safer so students can safely return after the April break.”
Fast Facts: Medical officer of health Dr. Vera Etches is warning Ottawa that vaccination alone won t reduce rising case counts. Ottawa has surpassed 18,000 total COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began. A new COVID-19 testing centre will open up in Nepean for at least the next two weeks to meet rising demand. Ontario has tapped the head of Ornge Air Ambulance to lead the province through Phase 2 of its vaccination plan.
COVID-19 by the numbers in Ottawa (Ottawa Public Health data):
New COVID-19 cases: 198 new cases on Sunday
Total COVID-19 cases: 18,023
COVID-19 cases per 100,000 (previous seven days): 114.9
Positivity rate in Ottawa: 6.5 per cent (Mar. 26 to April 1)
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TORONTO The head of Ontario’s air ambulance service has been tapped to lead the province’s vaccine rollout, the government announced on Sunday.
Dr. Homer Tien replaces retired general Rick Hillier as operational lead of Ontario’s COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Task Force, a spokesman for Solicitor General Sylvia Jones said in an email.
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“Dr. Tien has been part of the Task Force since it was established and has worked closely with the province on leading Operation Remote Immunity,” Stephen Warner said.
GTA mayors, doctors urge province to refocus vaccines to COVID hotspots 680news.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from 680news.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
The Ontario government has appointed the head of the province s air ambulance service as the new task force head for Phase 2 of its COVID-19 vaccine rollout.