Hamilton schools waiting on N95 masks, HEPA filters as sources say in-person learning to resume

Hamilton school boards are waiting on more N95 masks and HEPA filters, as sources tell CBC News in-person learning is expected to resume on Jan. 17.  

News of the return date was first reported by the Toronto Star Monday evening. 

On social media Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board asked families for patience and said it was "monitoring this latest development and confirmation of the school reopening date very closely."

"Families can expect a communication in a timely manner once the [province] releases an official announcement about when students can return to school."

Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board chair Pat Daly said Monday evening he was waiting to hear from the Ministry of Education and said if the announcement is made, it would be good news.

Earlier Monday, Daly said the school board has received 140,000 N95 masks for education workers, but is still waiting on another 60,000. There are 4,350 staff members at the Catholic board.

He said he doesn't know when they'll arrive. The school board hasn't received any additional HEPA filters since learning went online on Jan. 5, he said.

Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board spokesperson Shawn McKillop said the public school board received 182,000 N95 masks on Monday and isn't expecting any more. The masks are optional for staff and are not fit tested. The board says there are 7,130 staff members.

McKillop said the board is expecting 57 extra HEPA filters from the province, but hasn't received them yet. 

Last week, the chair of HWDSB penned a letter to Ontario's Ministry of Education making several requests "to help ensure that schools can reopen for safe in-person leaning as soon as possible." Those requests included priority access to vaccinations for front-line education workers and students, as well as funding or provisioning high-quality masks for students. 

More vaccine clinics

Education and child-care workers now have access to an appointment-only vaccine clinic in Hamilton, the city's medical officer of health said Monday afternoon. 

Dr. Elizabeth Richardson said the clinic at 1241 Barton St. E. is open every day from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.

People who use it have to book appointments through the province, since Ontario runs the clinic, she said.

Children aged five to 11-years-old also have walk-in access to the Centre on Barton and Lime Ridge Mall vaccine clinics for first and second doses. Both clinics are open daily from 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Percentage of kids vaccinated below provincial average

About 41.1 per cent of those kids have one dose of vaccine, which falls short of the provincial average, 46.7 per cent.

Richardson said the sluggish vaccination rate is concerning, and there are multiple factors contributing to it.

"It is a more broader hesitancy piece we're seeing, in terms of people deciding to come forward," she said.

Public health will eventually introduce vaccination clinics in schools, Richardson said. But for now, public health will build trust with families over time.

"This is an age group that hasn't seen a severe illness and so people feel, I think, that they do have the time to think about those decisions and take a little longer to make them."