Schools set to start again in Sask., some parents have concerns
CBC
Adam Ogieglo, a family physician in Saskatoon, is facing the same difficult decision other Saskatchewan parents are: does he send his kids to school as COVID-19 case numbers rise, or not?
Schools in Saskatchewan are scheduled to reopen on Monday and Tuesday as COVID-19 cases surge in the province and the more contagious Omicron variant of the virus becomes more prominent.
On Friday, the province reported 735 new cases of the virus, the highest number of new cases in a day since the pandemic began.
"Our official [case] numbers are just a small fraction of what's actually out there," Ogieglo said.
"[Omicron is] everywhere … if there's a few hundred people in the mall it's likely to be there, if there's a few hundred kids in the school, it's likely to be there. It's really a matter of time before there's an exposure that happens."
As of Friday, there were 117 confirmed cases of the Omicron variant and 1,355 probable cases.
Ogieglo has four kids at home, two who are school-aged.
His four-year-old son won't be heading back to school yet, but he is planning to send his seven-year-old daughter, who is recently double-vaccinated, back after a week or two depending on how the pandemic progresses.
Ogieglo understands it may not be possible for everyone, but he suggests parents delay sending their kids back to school if they can for the next few weeks.
It's a consideration weighing on Barbara Cabrera's mind with a mingling of concerns.
Both her kids have received two doses of vaccine about six months ago and with waning effectiveness over time she's unsure how much protection it will offer them. On top of that, she says her daughter goes to one of the largest high schools in Regina, which she's worried could provide a hotspot for transmission.
With finals coming up, though, it could complicate her daughter's situation even more.
If the Regina Public School system doesn't provide a delay — Cabrera hopes for at least one week to allow time for people ill from holiday celebrations to get tested — she plans to keep her kids home from school.
It's something she's able to do as a stay-at-home parent and acknowledges some families might find it difficult to accommodate a delay.
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