There is a simmering rage out there from Lecce & Moore's reiteration of the "leaked" news of schools being in-person in five days. Of course it wasn't truly leaked. This is how Ford gets feedback on his ideas before making them his ideas. It's a childish way of establishing plausible deniability. And now, IF they schools actually shift to in-person learning (schools haven't closed since this all started - they just shifted online), then it could be "absenteeism" that closes them, and Ford's in the clear!! Of course it won't be "absenteeism" as far as any authentic definition is concerned, i.e. teachers and staff avoiding work without just cause. No, it will be from illness and family care days. They're ready with an arsenal of retired teachers and parents that they're hoping will step up to take the place of teachers that they expect to get sick! Parents won't hear anything about it, though, until we hit 30% - THIRTY PER CENT - absences in a school. So no more late night texts to find out a student in our class has the virus. A question for the Minister and Doctor, if they wouldn't mind: By the time 30% of the school is absent from omicron, what are the chances that the rest have it??
Here's a selection that was live tweeted during the announcement from my disgruntled corner of the world. I didn't include attribution in case people don't want to be mentioned here, except in the case of authorities in their field. Some of my own tweets are in the mix:
ON ACCOMMODATING STUDENTS:
This wasn't discussed at the announcement, but we've been told that we're to accommodate any students that wish to continue working from home after we're back in school, at least for the remainder of January. (Ministry memo link here). However, here's what's actually happening:
SCDSB says Jan 12: Either kids go back in person or get de-enrolled.
What!! Awful!l Immunocompromised children, exposed? The principal and school board for granddaughters denied the request straight away - no matter the people compromised.
I can't imagine any benefit to anyone. Enrage parents, more crowded classrooms, less enrollment funding, anxious students... Who wins when accommodations are denied??
ON VENTILATION:
Lecce: "We've opened windows!!" This is part of real world ventilation solutions, so the kids can either be safe or be warm, but not both. There ARE no cohorts this year, so how will lunchtime be safe??
And windows that actually open are an issue.
My windows freeze open in these temperatures SMFH
ON RISK ASSESSMENT:
3 points: 1. This is quantifiable the highest risk that we have ever seen since 2020, it’s morally bankrupt to consider sending kids back to in person learning. 2. We have failed on all accounts to make significant improvements to risk reduction within our schools. 3. Since we are looking at at a potentially mass disabling event with hundreds of thousands of long-Covid related injuries, individuals need to think about their own personal criminal liability if they direct the work of other that they should reasonably know to be unsafe.
Testing symptomatic kids means they've ALREADY been nearly as infectious as they will ever be for two preceding days.
We're hiring more staff to cover for teachers when they inevitably get sick.
Moore admits cases will be higher in the next six weeks, but "We'll get through it!" What, dear doctor, does that mean?? How many lives will be lost or experience profound cognitive disability or organ failure from long covid?? Is that part of getting through it?? #onted
Moore: There will be an increased risk… but we’ll get through it. Thanks parents …for sacrificing your children.All I could think in that moment was, "no, not all of us will get through it." That was not okay. Not at all.
Daily deaths are already double digits we are talking about 2000 people some will be children #MengleMoore this is some nazi shit!
Moore: Cases of death will be low, so no worries. Only 2 kids died in the last 2 weeks, which appears to be an acceptable level of mortality for Dr. Moore. Unconscionable!!
Moore has decided that COVID will not be a severe course of illness in your children and there are no worries about long term effects. This is from your CMOH.
Our CMOH showed up in a fabric mask?! 8 children in the ICU but “very rare” kids get seriously sick? He wants more evidence on vaccines but not long term effects of Covid before infecting our kids? Now schools “are not a significant multiplier” bc they can’t deny spread.
More surgeries delayed ...
Will hospitals staff get through it? Will the elderly? Will frontline workers? #MooreIsLess #ClusterFord #FordfailedOntario
What he means is HE and the cabinet ministers will get through it.
And some of us won’t.
"More people will get cancer in the next six months but the survivors will get through it." Just a translation for those who need it.
"Only" 46 Covid deaths today, Ontario. This is clearly the time to pour some fuel on the fire by reopening #onted in-person learning and see how close we can get to 100 deaths a day, eh?
Found someone happy with today's school announcement. His pinned tweet included the line, "children aren't dying in meaningful numbers."
Dear students, educators & families. Welcome to the in-school Omicron infection games. May the odds be ever in your favour that you, your kids or your family members don't become a morbidity/mortality stat that's acceptable to this gov't. #FordFailedKids #FordFailedThePeople
ON VACCINATIONS:
Lecce: Vaccines are essential. We know they're safe and effective. 82% of 12-17 "fully immunized"?? - which means just dose 2 and 6+ months PAST dose 2 because they're still not eligible for the NECESSARY dose 3 to count as fully vaccinated. #BoostOurTeens
Sending kids back to school when teens cannot get boosted - 7 months out from our son's second vaccine with a vulnerable family member at home and feeling abandoned by @GovCanHealth and @fordnation. #BoostOurTeens
Asked why Ontario won't make #COVID19 vaccines mandatory for school attendance (along with other shots), chief medical officer Moore says because it's a new vaccine. "We want more experience with it before we mandate it."
Moore: omicron doesn’t lead to severe illnesses in kids. Also Moore: kids need to get vaxxed because in the USA they are seeing an increase in hospitalizations of unvaxxed kids.
If my school's fb group means anything, sounds like some unvaccinated parents are just going to send their unvaccinated kids to school regardless of any symptoms bc "its just the flu and everyone needs to get it so we can move on" and this is why we need screening and tracking.
ON MENTAL HEALTH:
Didn't you know kids' mental health issues evaporate as soon as they enter a school. #TrueStory
Dr. Tyler Black: "The mental health impacts of the virus and its consequences including death, hospitalization, illness, and disability, far outweigh the likely negligible MH impacts of missing school when closures are necessary."
SOME GENERAL REACTIONS:
The absence of a clear, empirical explanation for closing schools in Jan - and ...for announcing they will open now .....- indicates that something else is driving these decisions. It's pandemic planning by polling, with children as collateral damage" #onpoli
Burnt out health care workers, scant emergency services. On what fing planet does he live.
I feel a whole new kind of rage I have never felt before in my life after listening to these two clowns.
Dr. Nili Kaplan-Myrth, MD: "We aren't sending our daughter back to school next week. It is peak #Omicron. She's not the only one who will be at home. Educators, child care providers, parents, kids, colleagues in healthcare, I'm sorry that Ontario has abandoned you. Not good for your health."
There is total absenteeism amongst their collective minds.
AND THEN, The Parent Coalition threatened the government with a lawsuit if they don't open schools, arguing that it's a Charter violation to not be able to access in-person schooling during a pandemic.
However, people can be sued and end up in prison, with precedent-setting cases, if they direct someone to do work that is known to be unsafe. See the Westray Bill (Bill C-45) create after the Westray mining disaster. Are boards and principals in schools aware of the role they might inadvertently play here? Ford will be damn sure that it doesn't come back on him!
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