QPAT is calling on the Government of Quebec to immediately put in place the measures necessary to protect the health of school staff, students and their families

MONTREAL, April 6, 2021 /CNW Telbec/ - We are seeing a dizzying increase in COVID-19 cases linked to the variant in several regions of Quebec. Recently this has become the main source of COVID-19 in Quebec. QPAT has therefore sent a letter to the appropriate government authorities to express the concerns and feelings of great insecurity of the teachers it represents. Their level of anxiety was amplified by last week's news about the toxicity of certain disposable masks that have been provided in some establishments in the last few months, as well as the Ministère de l'Éducation's protocols to measure air quality in classrooms. As a result, their confidence in the government, public health and the Ministère de l'Éducation is at an all-time low. "Concrete steps must be taken as quickly as possible to avoid the worst-case scenario," says Heidi Yetman, President of the APEQ-QPAT.

Summary of QPAT's requests:

Considering that:

• The new COVID-19 variant is much more contagious and seems to be more easily transmitted;
• A growing number of younger individuals appear to be more severely affected by the variant;
• Children and teens appear to have more symptoms and to transmit it more easily;
• The Ministère de l'Éducation has yet to adopt any preventative measures to improve air quality in Quebec schools;
• No physical distancing measures have been implemented in the schools;
• The scientific community has recognized that aerosol transmission (micro-particles) is COVID-19's main mode of transmission;
• Teachers in Quebec are still not vaccinated;
• The College of Physicians, the INSPQ, and several experts have issued serious warnings about the hasty relaxation of the health measures adopted by public health in recent weeks;
• Two different groups of physicians, professionals and public health specialists are recommending that the government tighten health measures posthaste.

QPAT is calling on the government to act as promptly as possible by taking the following measures to protect the health of school staff, students and their families and to save the current school year:

• Adopt a suppressive approach to the virus as opposed to the mitigation approach that has been favoured so far;
• In this sense, re-implement restrictive measures such as closing places where the virus tends to spread the most;
• Prepare for the complete closure of red zone schools for a transition to emergency distance education;
• Systematically isolate potentially exposed school staff and students;
• Prioritize the immediate immunization of teachers and school staff;
• Promptly install ventilation and air filtration equipment in classes;
• Systematically screen students and school staff using rapid testing.

QPAT hopes that this call will not fall on deaf ears and that concrete action will be taken quickly.

Heidi Yetman,
APEQ-QPAT President

SOURCE Quebec Provincial Association of Teachers

Julie Montpetit, Cell: 514-249-9653

Related Links

http://www.qpat-apeq.qc.ca