Article 5JM75 How Premier Doug Ford plans to get to a ‘fabulous’ summer

How Premier Doug Ford plans to get to a ‘fabulous’ summer

by
Joanna Frketich - Spectator Reporter
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Schools remain closed until the fall but Ontario's reopening may start earlier than scheduled.

Outdoor graduation ceremonies, sports, camps and play dates are the goal as Premier Doug Ford aims for a fabulous" summer.

Why aren't schools opening?

Ford says he can't risk thousands and thousands" of new COVID cases, especially while the fast-spreading variant B.1.617.2 is taking hold.

The Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table had estimated reopening schools would increase infections by six per cent to 11 per cent.

I don't want to risk the kids' summer," said Ford. My heart breaks for them but it would break twice as much if we said summer's cancelled."

Dr. Jeff Kwong, senior scientist at research institute ICES, said, It came down to you either open schools or you open businesses but you can't do both."

Will every grade get a graduation?

I want schools to host in-person outdoor graduation events and other opportunities for you to meet with your friends and reconnect outside before the end of the year," Ford said Wednesday. We'll be working with school boards and health officials to make sure we can have outdoor graduation ceremonies for all students in all grades this summer rather than just Grade 8 and 12."

A spokesperson for Ford later clarified the events will vary by public health unit and school board."

Kwong called it an unnecessary risk."

What will school look like in the fall?

Our aim is to make it more normal where kids can have access to clubs as well as extracurriculars and gym as well as sports," said Education Minister Stephen Lecce. They were denied those experiences in the country this past year. We want to work very hard to make sure we can restore them for the benefit of children in September."

What can kids do this summer?

Ford said he wants to see kids outside playing sports, team sports, going to (overnight) camp, day camps, enjoying organized activities this summer, hanging around with their friends."

What about the stay-at-home order?

The order expired Wednesday but all other restrictions remain in place including on businesses. There are no indoor gatherings; outdoors they're limited to five people outside of your household. You should physically distance outside or wear a mask. Ontario Parks and campgrounds are day-use only.

When will Ontario go to Stage 1?

The date for Stage 1 is still the week of June 14, but Ford has raised the possibility it could be moved up. He said it will be up to the province's chief medical officer of health, Dr. David Williams, and the COVID-19 Health Co-ordination Table.

We are seeing the numbers going down," said Health Minister Christine Elliott. The vaccination rates are good. But of course we have to look at the number of new cases coming into our hospitals, the number of people in intensive care ... how quickly the numbers are reproducing and infecting new people and public health capacity. There are a range of factors that need to be taken into consideration. We are reviewing them daily."

Why Stage 1 but not schools?

Ford said schools are indoors while the reopening plan centres on outdoors.

Indoors bad, outdoors good," said Ford about advice he's received from doctors.

What I'm choosing is avoiding two million kids going indoors for eight hours a day for a two-week or three-week period," he said. Right now we don't have enough kids vaccinated, we don't have enough teachers vaccinated."

Why can't we just open up?

We have a lot of people who received the first dose ... but there's not a lot who've had two doses yet," said Kwong. I would feel a lot more confident about reopening once we get a lot more people with two doses."

Joanna Frketich is a Hamilton-based reporter covering health for The Spectator. Reach her via email: jfrketich@thespec.com

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