Delta schools to require proof of vaccination for teachers, staff
CBC
Teachers and other staff at schools in Delta will soon have to get vaccinated, undergo regular rapid testing or stop getting paid, the school district says.
In a statement, the Delta School district said beginning Monday, staff will be given six weeks to disclose their vaccination status. Those who are unvaccinated, the district said, will have to be regularly tested or take an unpaid leave of absence.
"Employees have to provide us with proof that they have been double vaccinated. Long and short of it," board chair Val Windsor said in an interview.
"Public health officials — Dr. Bonnie [Henry] and others — continue to emphasize the importance of people getting vaccinated … to risk reduce the risks of COVID 19 transmission to both schools and communities.
"It's all about student and staff safety."
The decision was announced during an virtual board meeting Tuesday, according to the district's statement.
The declaration process has not yet been finalized, but the district said it would reflect guidelines for vaccination policies, meet privacy obligations and consider input from Indigenous, employee, parent and community representatives.
P.E.I.'s Public Schools Branch is looking for 50 substitute bus drivers, and it'll be recruiting at three job fairs on Saturday, June 8. The job fairs are located at the Atlantic Superstore in Montague, Royalty Crossing in Charlottetown, and the bus parking lot of Three Oaks Senior High in Summerside. All three run from 9 a.m. until noon. Dave Gillis, the director of transportation and risk management for the Public Schools Branch, said the number of substitute drivers they're hiring isn't unusual. "We are always looking for more. Our drivers tend to have an older demographic," he said.