Prioritize health system pressures ahead of lifting public health measures: RNAO says

RNAO issued a media release on Jan. 20 following the government’s announcement that it plans to start lifting public health measures. The Ontario government’s announcement today to ease public health measures beginning Jan. 31 is premature and will prolong the current health system crisis, says RNAO.

RNAO’s submission to the Toronto Board of Health on return to school

RNAO’s CEO Doris Grinspun made a deputation to the Toronto Board of Health on Jan. 17. RNAO recognizes the importance of our public education system for all children’s learning, physical, social and emotional development. In principle, there is no question – school is where kids and youth ought to be. However, the provincial government’s response to school safety has mirrored its response to the pandemic generally. Public health measures have been too little, too late – undermining our capacity to ameliorate the damage caused by the virus, and jeopardizing recovery.

Keeping schools open and safe – learning from Spain’s exceptional experience

Spain has been hit particularly hard by the pandemic and is experiencing a fifth wave of COVID-19. The opening of the new school year in September 2021 arrives in Spain, however, with more confidence than in many other countries, including Canada. This confidence arises from their positive experience during the past year. Substantial parts of this article are adapted from an August 4, 2021 article in The Conversation by Fernando Trujillo Sáez; Jonatan Castaño Muñoz; Riina Vuorikari, and Romina Cachia, entitled Portrait of the school experience in Spain during more than a year of pandemic (in Spanish).

Preparing for the second wave of COVID-19: Discussion

Last week I posted RNAO’s thoughts on preparing for upcoming waves of COVID-19. RNAO has argued since January that we must prepare for the worst and hope for the best. We raised 15 lines of action, many of them interrelated, as part of that required preparation. Keep sending us your feedback, as it is very important and much appreciated! Here we discuss the flu vaccine, masks and schools, batch testing, and harmful disinformation.