THUNDER BAY -- Lakehead Public Schools trustees has passed a motion asking Thunder Bay District Health Unit and the province to consider moving all the board's schools into virtual learning for at least two weeks, starting by Monday.
Public board chair Ellen Chambers on Tuesday night said the numbers are staggering.
Chambers said 576 students are at home self-isolating, representing 7.7 per cent of the overall student body. Fifty-five staff members are also in self-isolation. There are 25 cases across the board, and a total of 20 cohorts, or classrooms, that have been dismissed.
There are also issues with bus-driver availability as a result of the outbreaks.
"Our school system is being affected. By going virtual, our children will be taught," Chamber said, adding it will be relatively easy to make the switch, with high schoolers already learning from home half of each school day. Elementary students spent the first week following the Christmas break studying from home.
"The impact on our school system is huge. It's affecting our classes. When you having classes self-isolating, it's disrupting."
Chambers said the board cannot unilaterally announce a move to virtual, the decision must come from the province and public health officials, which is why they voted to ask the province and the Thunder Bay District Health Unit to intervene.
"We really want them to listen, absolutely," a concerned Chambers said. "Our percentage of cases in Thunder Bay, we're the second highest in the province."
The board, she added, is also running out of supply teacher to fill in for teachers who can't come to school, which is likely to happen more under Ontario's new classroom restrictions announced earlier this week. Even one symptom is enough to force students and staff -- and their family members -- to stay home and self-isolate until either cleared by a public health nurse or presented with a negative test result.
Chambers said school administrators at affected schools are spending the vast majority of their days doing contact tracing to help public health officials.
The vote came hours after the board declared an outbreak at Woodcrest Public School, which joined St. James Public School, Kingsway Park Public School and Westgate Collegiate and Vocational Institute students learning entirely from home.Eight public board schools currently have cases. McKellar Park Central just emerged from outbreak and two cases on Tuesday were disclosed at Hammarskjold High School.
The request is for a two-week pause, but Chambers said they've left open the possibility of extending it indefinitely, should it be deemed necessary.
There are 273 active COVID-19 cases in Thunder Bay as of Tuesday, with 216 occurring in the past seven days.
