Manitoba will send teachers to the United States to vaccinate
How will this be organized and what do teachers themselves think?
The Province of Manitoba has an agreement with the State of North Dakota and the federal government on cross-border vaccinations. Those who will be able to get vaccinated include teachers and all education staff, including administrative and technical staff.
Brian Pallister, Manitoba's premier, said the details of the agreement are still being discussed and the government will provide more details next week. It's already known that people will only be able to travel to and from vaccination sites, and the 14-day self-exclusion order on their return will not apply to them. It is possible that vaccination points will be open on weekends so that teachers do not interrupt classes during the week.
"Our goal here is clear: We want schools to stay open," Pallister said.
The Manitoba teachers' union disapproved of the initiative, saying it could have been avoided if authorities had previously included education staff in the priority group for vaccination. In addition, staff would have to travel long distances to get vaccinated, there could be problems with transportation, and if some develop side effects, they may need to be hospitalized while on the road.
However, Premier Pallister believes teachers would welcome the opportunity to be vaccinated, even if they have to travel to the States to do so. The distance between Winnipeg, the capital of Manitoba, and the US border is 110 kilometres.
On Monday, April 26, Manitoba reported 364 cases of infection in schools in the province: 287 among students and 77 among staff.
