COVID-19: Quebec father says daughter freezing as school leaves windows open

MONTREAL - Samuel Gagnon says his seven-year-old daughter has advised him her classroom is typically so chilly, she desires to cry.

Gagnon, who lives in Château-Richer, north of Quebec Metropolis, stated his daughter’s faculty has been leaving the home windows open in an effort to forestall the unfold of COVID-19.

However after sending his daughter to high school on a day the place it was -40 C with the wind chill, he determined to behave, calling his native member of the provincial legislature and posting a video on Fb encouraging others to do the identical.

“We've a major problem, our kids are freezing in our faculties, and it’s unacceptable,” he stated in an interview Friday.

For Gagnon, the answer is easy. He thinks Quebec ought to set up air exchangers in lecture rooms, one thing that’s been finished in different provinces.

Heidi Yetman, the president of the Quebec Provincial Affiliation of Lecturers, a union that represents academics at English-language faculties within the province, stated that whereas the Schooling Division has put in carbon dioxide detectors in round 50 per cent of lecture rooms, it hasn’t acted to enhance air high quality.

Quebec has stated it plans to put in air exchangers in some lecture rooms, however Yetman stated she doesn’t know the way lots of the 400 units the province says it has acquired have been put in.

“The instructor that feels unsafe of their classroom and has a CO2 detector that claims 2,000 components per million, and we’re advised if it goes larger than 1,500 components per million then open your home windows, that instructor goes to open home windows, as a result of she doesn't really feel secure,” she stated in an interview Friday.

Requested to touch upon Gagnon’s video, Florent Tanlet, a spokesman for Quebec Schooling Minister Jean-François Roberge, emailed a hyperlink to a Jan. 21 press launch issued by the Schooling Division saying academics may shut home windows in chilly climate.

“The suggestions of specialists are clear: good air flow provides to the measures already put in place, like carrying masks, distancing and the isolation measures in case of COVID-19,” Roberge stated within the launch. “As a former instructor myself, I'm conscious of the significance of opening home windows in lecture rooms, however not on the expense of pupil consolation, particularly in very chilly climate.”

Yetman stated the federal government is sending blended messages, telling academics to open home windows if the carbon dioxide stage is simply too excessive, whereas additionally telling them to maintain home windows closed if it will get too chilly.

On Thursday night, the Schooling Division stated that 49,852 college students, 3.64 per cent of the entire quantity within the province, have been absent after testing constructive or having a suspected case of COVID-19. It stated 2,080 academics, 1.53 per cent of the province’s complete, have been absent because of the illness.

The division stated that as of Jan. 25, 96 lessons at private and non-private faculties have been being carried out remotely and two faculties have been fully or partially closed attributable to COVID-19.

In-person lessons in Quebec faculties resumed Jan. 17, although many colleges didn't reopen till the next day attributable to a snowstorm.

Olivier Drouin, a Montreal father of two, stated the province is releasing much less knowledge than earlier within the pandemic, leaving dad and mom at midnight.

“Quebec has stopped publishing case numbers in faculties. They’ve stopped even advising dad and mom if there's a constructive case within the class of their little one,” stated Drouin, who has been monitoring COVID-19 circumstances in faculties since August 2020 with a challenge referred to as COVID Écoles Quebec.

Drouin stated he’s pissed off that the Quebec authorities is now not making knowledge on the variety of circumstances in faculties public and has “no clear motion plan” to enhance air high quality in faculties.

Provincial Well being Division knowledge Friday confirmed that 43 youngsters below age 10 have been in hospital with COVID-19, together with one other 27 individuals aged 10 to 19. Six of these sufferers below 10 have been in intensive care.

Earlier Friday, the Well being Division stated a complete of three,091 individuals have been in hospital, a decline of 62 from the day earlier than. It stated 287 individuals have been admitted and 349 have been launched. The variety of individuals in intensive care went down by seven from the day earlier than, to 228.

Authorities reported 48 further deaths linked to the novel coronavirus.

This report by The Canadian Press was first printed Jan. 28, 2022.

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This story was produced with the monetary help of the Fb and Canadian Press Information Fellowship.