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HomeMy WebLinkAboutLetter to Dr. Etches 15 March 2022 Office of the Chair of the Board 15 March 2022 Dr. Vera Etches Medical Officer of Health Ottawa Public Health 100 Constellation Drive Ottawa, Ontario K2G 6J8 Dear Dr. Etches, At a special meeting of the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board on Monday, 14 March 2022, the Board directed me to write to the Minister of Education and the Chief Medical Officer of Health (copy attached) regarding the lifting of mask mandates for schools. In the letter you will see that the Board would greatly appreciate expert opinion and advice on the implications of the removal of the mask mandate for our students, in terms of what overall impact we might expect for student health, and how/whether taking a somewhat gradual approach to implementation might mitigate any potential adverse effects. You and your team at Ottawa Public Health have been extremely helpful and supportive to the OCDSB during the COVID-19 pandemic, and any additional advice you can offer as we transition towards a more "normal" school experience will be greatly appreciated. Thank you, Lynn Scott Chair, Ottawa-Carleton District School Board Attach. cc: Trustees, Ottawa-Carleton District School Board Senior Staff, Ottawa-Carleton District School Board Corporate Records Office of the Chair of the Board 15 March 2022 The Honourable Stephen Lecce Minister of Education 438 University Ave, 5th Floor Toronto, Ontario M7A 1N3 Dr. Kieran Moore Chief Medical Officer of Health Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health, Public Health Box 12, Toronto, Ontario M7A 1N3 Dear Minister Lecce and Dr. Moore: At a special meeting of the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board on 14 March 2022, after considering the possibility of a local mask mandate, the Board directed me to write to you with regard to the changed directives regarding masking, physical distancing and cohorting in schools that will come into effect on 21 March 2022, immediately following March Break. First, the OCDSB would appreciate timely additional direction regarding masking to protect medically fragile staff and students, especially children in congregate settings. In recent days we have heard significant concerns from families about the need to continue to protect those in our schools who are immunocompromised or otherwise at higher risk of severe effects should they contract COVID-19. Second, we note that the change in directives simultaneously removes three of the important layers of protection for our students and staff that have proven very effective at mitigating the risk of COVID-19 transmission in schools. It would therefore be helpful to have additional time and flexibility to proceed stepwise over a two-to-four-week period as we implement the changes, to support improved monitoring, any retraining needs, and improved communications and reassurance for OCDSB families and staff. The OCDSB will also be requesting expert opinion and advice from Ottawa Public Health with respect to the projected student health impacts to be expected with an immediate versus a graduated approach to implementing the new Ministry of Education guidelines. We would appreciate your written public response by Thursday, 17 March 2022. . Sincerely, Lynn Scott Chair, Ottawa-Carleton District School Board cc: Nancy Naylor, Deputy Minister of Education Dr. Vera Etches, Medical Officer of Health, Ottawa Public Health Cathy Abraham, President, OPSBA W.R. (Rusty) Hick, Executive Director, OPSBA T.J Goertz, Senior Communication and Policy Officer OPSBA and Member Boards Trustees, Ottawa-Carleton District School Board Senior Staff, Ottawa-Carleton District School Board Corporate Records /!-- This code was added to remove the metadata from document view in Weblink -->