The Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation is urging all school divisions to implement COVID-19 rapid testing protocols immediately, citing teachers being infected with the virus as a main reason, including from Weyburn.
The STF is also requesting the provincial government reconsider frontline school staff for vaccine priority.
“We have the rapid tests and we need to be using them,” said Patrick Maze, President of the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation. “This is our best tool to get ahead of the spread of variants of concern and slow transmission in our schools and communities.”
Maze is hearing from teachers who are worried the response is too reactive and not keeping them safe.
“They are scared, frankly. Not just for themselves, but for their communities. Transmission in schools contributes to transmission in communities and vice versa,” said Maze. “Saskatchewan is not alone in this and we should be acting proactively based on what we know has worked in other regions. We must use every tool available to keep people safe and keep our schools open.”
Maze cites the U.K. as an example where students and teachers are being tested four times a week with rapid tests. The Federation is calling for random testing in schools to begin immediately with clear processes and guidelines for the testing program, including:
• Who should be tested and how often;
• Clarity on who will administer the tests and process results; and
• Public disclosure of rapid test use statistics from each division.
On March 22, the Government of Saskatchewan announced that 100,000 rapid tests had been distributed to schools and testing could start that week. No additional information regarding testing implementation has been shared.
Maze further noted that had frontline school staff been vaccinated back in mid-January, when several clinics were set up for general public vaccinations, those staff would be much safer in their workplaces.
“We now have reports of teachers in Regina, Moose Jaw and Weyburn contracting the virus, which is very concerning and represents a failure on the part of both government and school divisions, as employers, to keep their employees safe.”
