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HB NEWS RAPID ANTIGEN TESTS NOT CURRENTLY REQUIRED AT HALTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS ASYMPTOMATIC TESTING VALUABLE WHEN COMMUNITY CASE COUNTS ARE AT 100 PER 100,000 KATHY YANCHUS s@r most recent meeting of the HDSB Oct. 6. At this point, added Blackwell, “eapid antige tests have really low utility in our schools according to ur public health unit. We do have lots of alternatives and effective strategies that have been working well to minimi t y com The use of COVID-19 rapid antigen tests is not necessary at this time in School case counts in the commu- nity are about 100 per 100,000; at this time in Hal- ton we are at 20 to 22 cases per 100,000, so our schools in Halton don't meet the criteria that is presently laid out with respect to the rapid antigen tests," said superintendent of educa- tion Terri Blackwell at the ns- mission." Like Halton region, oth- er health units do not in- tend on using the tests un- less there are significant criteria met, for example, where there's a school clo- sure and returning stu- dents could be tested to en- are no leftover cases, said Blackwell. This news should come as reassurance to parents, said board chair Andrea Grebenc. "Trustees have been re- ceiving a lot of emails around rapid antigen tests from parents anxious to be abletocontribute to stamp- ing out, getting rid of CO- VID in the comm Hopefully, this provides some comfort to families that these rapid tests will be used wl ecessary," said Grebene. TRUSTEES WANT COVID ADDED TO LIST OF DESIGNATED DISEASES HDSB trustees added their censting that COVID-19 be added to the list of desig- nated diseases in the Im- munization of School Pu- Ls} ct. There is no mandatory COVID vaccination pro- gram for students at the present time; however, adding COVID-19 to the designated diseases list — which includes tetanus, po- lio and diphtheria, among others — might inspire Don’t get stuck without fresh coffee! 7] Direct from the Roastery | Freshly roasted specialty coffee Delivered right to your door roland Low transmission rates and high vaccination rates mean rapid antigen testing is not required in HDSB schools. more people to get the vac- cine to protect those who are unable to do so, wrote Grebenc in a letter to Min- ister of Health Christine Elliot and Minister of Edu- cation Stephen Lecce. This addition would al- so provide " "a pence on vaccination," states the letter, which will also be sent to Ontario's Chief Medical Officer ¢ of Health Dr. Kieran Moo. “Adding COVID asades- ignated disease does not make it truly mandatory, as in if you don't get the jab you can't come to school; it is if you don't get the jab, you get educated. It does layer on an educational component if parents de- cide not to vaccinate their children. Right now that component is missing, and it allows parents to simply do nothing which enables hesitancy.” If COVID-19 was a desig- = nated disease, it would be the duty of parents to en- sure that their students ful- fil the immunization ; e schedule, added Oakville trustee Joanne Oliver in + believe, it to p public the vaccination has in fact taken place, as we see cur- rently being ¢ done with the the ring of re of which students have not ‘not Therve “the males for the medical officer of health, via the school board, to sus- system, that's actually avery effec- tive tool." We're open for Dine-In or Take-Out WA 4 ‘pL seqoi20 ‘Kepsinuy | SIH WONEH dl UL | £ x 8 8 Southpaw The Berwick Coffee Bar and Cafe Open for Dinner Monday to Friday Thursday to Saturday 7am - 6pm Call for reservations Saturday & Sunday 647-812-3954 8am - 6pm 99 Main St. S, Georgetown www.berwickbistro.ca 221 Miller Dr, Georgetown www.southpawcafe.ca OR ER ONLINE fw BLAC REEKCOFFEE. coM eordyouy