500 Ontario teachers urge Ford to keep kids in school

Over 500 teachers have signed a letter saying that children should remain in school despite the rise in COVID infections from the Omicron variant, according to CTV News.

The doctors sent a letter to Premier Doug Ford, Education Minister Stephen Lecce and Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer. The letter made it clear that the price of education is far more substantial than the risk of Omicron.

"Children and youth have experienced significant harms since March 2020 due to prolonged school closures, and we now must prioritize the needs of children and youth," the letter read.

"School closures should no longer be a knee-jerk reaction to rising case counts. Numerous jurisdictions have committed to keeping schools open and we need to do the same," it added.

Last week, a report from the UK government showed that those who catch the Omicron variant of COVID-19 are up to 70 percent less likely to need hospitalization.

UK health authorities did warn, however, that cases may end up in hospitals regardless.

Vaccines have also been shown to be effective for ten weeks after the booster shot. Having said that, protection against serious side effects that would induce hospitalization.

This new report by the UK government follows other reports from officials in South Africa, Denmark, England and Scotland, which all suggest reduced severity.