SHARE ON: |
| |
| |
 |
 |
|
|
The head of the Saskatoon Teachers Association wonders where frontline educators fit in the province’s vaccination plan.
As the province rolls out its first COVID-19 immunizations, some in education are wondering when frontline teachers are going to be prioritized.
The fact that teachers and school staff are not on this initial vaccination list is concerning for the president of the Saskatoon Teacher’s Association, John McGettigan.
He believes the risk of staff shortages due to illness is a worry with schools already facing a substitute teacher shortage.
Teachers should be in that line very close behind healthcare workers. Kids wellbeing is our priority and the more we can keep kids in school the better off society is, McGettigan told CTV News.
There was a general excitement among school staff about the vaccine, McGettigan said.
Then the timeline started to play out and there was a question of where will we fit in? I think it’s pretty hard to argue that teachers should be in that lineup and be prioritized, he said.
It is anticipated Phase 2 of the province’s vaccination plan will begin in April with additional priority groups and the general population getting the coronavirus shot.
I represent almost 4000 teachers in the province, and I think we need to set aside that many vaccines for those people in February or March and if not sooner, McGettigan said.
The Ministry of Health says it is following the national guidelines to decide who gets the vaccine first in Saskatchewan and that all provinces are using the same recommendations to determine prioritization.
The president of the Saskatchewan Teachers Federation, Patrick Maze said educators were told at the outset of school opening in September, that children would be asymptomatic in large part which makes the lack of a vaccination plan for school staff, problematic.
We are seeing some situations where younger kids are getting ill, but that being said there are still overall relatively low numbers yet we know that that the adults in the buildings aren’t protected in the same fashion so if we want to keep the buildings open, we need adults working there. That includes teachers, educational assistants and maintenance staff and everyone in the buildings, Maze said.
The Ministry of Health told CTV News Tuesday afternoon that it is planning a media availability this week where the issue of teacher vaccinations will likely come up but would not provide specifics.
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
12 pm |
| 21 ℃ |
| FEW CLOUDS |
WIND: W 11 KM/H
GUSTING TO 17 KM/H |
|
|
 |
1 pm |
| 22 ℃ |
| FEW CLOUDS |
WIND: WNW 12 KM/H
GUSTING TO 19 KM/H |
|
|
 |
2 pm |
| 22 ℃ |
| FEW CLOUDS |
WIND: WNW 12 KM/H
GUSTING TO 21 KM/H |
|
|
 |
3 pm |
| 22 ℃ |
| FEW CLOUDS |
WIND: NW 14 KM/H
GUSTING TO 25 KM/H |
|
 |
 |
4 pm |
| 21 ℃ |
| CLEAR SKY |
WIND: NW 16 KM/H
GUSTING TO 23 KM/H |
|
|
 |
5 pm |
| 21 ℃ |
| CLEAR SKY |
WIND: NNW 16 KM/H
GUSTING TO 22 KM/H |
|
|
 |
6 pm |
| 23 ℃ |
| CLEAR SKY |
WIND: NNW 15 KM/H
GUSTING TO 21 KM/H |
|
|
 |
7 pm |
| 24 ℃ |
| BROKEN CLOUDS |
WIND: N 11 KM/H
GUSTING TO 15 KM/H |
|
 |
 |
 |
TODAY |
HIGH OF 24 ℃
LOW OF 7 ℃ |
| FEW CLOUDS |
|
|
 |
WEDNESDAY |
HIGH OF 28 ℃
LOW OF 12 ℃ |
| LIGHT RAIN |
|
|
 |
THURSDAY |
HIGH OF 28 ℃
LOW OF 12 ℃ |
| BROKEN CLOUDS |
|
|
 |
FRIDAY |
HIGH OF 26 ℃
LOW OF 15 ℃ |
| LIGHT RAIN |
|
 |
 |
SATURDAY |
HIGH OF 30 ℃
LOW OF 16 ℃ |
| OVERCAST CLOUDS |
|
|
 |
SUNDAY |
HIGH OF 27 ℃
LOW OF 20 ℃ |
| LIGHT RAIN |
|
|
 |
MONDAY |
HIGH OF 28 ℃
LOW OF 15 ℃ |
| CLEAR SKY |
|
|
 |
TUESDAY |
HIGH OF 23 ℃
LOW OF 13 ℃ |
| BROKEN CLOUDS |
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
LIMP BIZKIT MY GENERATION 12:27 PM |
 |
 |
STONE THE CROW DOWN 12:23 PM |
 |
 |
ALICE IN CHAINS BLEED THE FREAK 12:19 PM |
 |
 |
CREED MY SACRIFICE 12:15 PM |
 |
 |
FOO FIGHTERS LEARN TO FLY 12:10 PM |
 |
 |
GREEN DAY BASKET CASE 12:00 PM |
 |
 |
AFTERGLOW HOLDING ON 11:54 AM |
 |
 |
THROW THE FIGHT COVER YOUR TRACKS 11:51 AM |
 |
 |
SEETHER LET IT GO 11:46 AM |
 |
 |
LINKIN PARK THE EMPTINESS MACHINE 11:41 AM |
 |
 |