'Step up,' B.C. teachers tell province amid onslaught of Omicron cases

A cleaned classroom is seen during a media tour of Hastings Elementary school in Vancouver, Wednesday, September 2, 2020. (Jonathan Hayward / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

Teachers in British Columbia are calling on the province to "step up," saying the onslaught of the Omicron variant should change the government's approach in the classroom.

In a series of messages posted last week, a union representing about 45,000 teachers in the province outlined eight things it thinks the province should do to keep kids and school staff safe.

"The Omicron variant has changed the pandemic," the BCTF posted on Twitter Dec. 23.

"It's more transmissible and has a shorter incubation. Safety measures in (B.C.) schools must change too."

The union noted thousands of students are still waiting for vaccination against COVID-19, and staff members are waiting to be eligible for their booster shots.

As kids head back to school after the Christmas break, the BCTF said, provincial officials need to "step up and protect them and all the people we go home to."

The union suggested the province do the following:

provide free N95 masks;

ensure mask rules are being enforced;

implement a "rapid testing regime";

allow district officials to share information on exposures and clusters of cases;

limit the size of school gatherings and make meetings virtual;

update the daily health assessment to reflect Omicron's symptoms;

stagger school start and end times, as well as lunch and recess; and

ramp up testing and vaccinations during the winter break.

The union also pushed for better air ventilation systems, saying, "opening windows is not a real option in parts of the province that face bitter cold."

The BCTF said more needs to be done, and be communicated to teachers, if the province wants to keep its schools open.

The provincial health officer will likely address or be asked about schools when she speaks to media in her first and only news conference scheduled for this week. Health Minister Adrian Dix may also be asked to speak about school safety.

CTVNewsVancouver.ca will stream that news conference live on Wednesday afternoon.