Sask. parents, teachers concerned after province's quiet change to school outbreak reporting
CBC
Like many other Saskatchewan parents throughout the pandemic, Rebecca Penner frequently found herself checking the province's COVID-19 school outbreak website. But that stopped late last month.
The Regina mother of two said it was around that time that she noticed the province had quit listing how many cases there were in schools where an outbreak was declared.
"There was no explanation as to why the way they reported on [outbreaks] changed," Penner said. "It gives me the impression that [the provincial government] is trying to hide something — even if there's nothing to hide."
Since the changes to the website, Penner said both she and other families with school-age children are forced to do their own math when it comes to COVID-19 cases in schools. That means adding up the case notifications they receive through their school administration and by word of mouth.
"I've kind of given up looking at the government's website because the information's not transparent," she said.
According to the province, the change was made Nov. 29.
"Case counts will be updated until an outbreak has been declared," a Ministry of Health spokesperson said in an email to CBC News late Monday afternoon, quoting a line under its website's "COVID-19 Cases in Schools" heading.
"The website change does not change the approach to the outbreak response."
The province noted that school divisions are expected to work with their local medical health officers on how to deal with an outbreak, including on how to cut down transmission.
It said it's up to schools to advise their community of any outbreaks.
"Parents with questions about case numbers in their child's specific school should contact the school," the Ministry of Health said.
Andrew Deobald, a stay-at-home parent of three kids in Aberdeen, Sask., said it's concerning to see the province changing the way it's reporting on COVID-19 outbreaks in schools without clearly notifying residents.
"It lowers the level of trust I have in my government to keep myself and the public informed," he wrote in a series of online messages to CBC News.
"It shows contempt and a disregard for the public."
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