Nova Scotia schools reopen to students after extended closure amid Omicron wave
On a cold, slippery Monday morning, Nova Scotia students returned to in-person learning.
"I am excited," said elementary student Audray Houston.
"It feels a little bit weird, but we're excited," added Audray’s mother Megan Houston.
An extended Christmas break has meant students have not been in school for almost a full month.
"We are really looking forward to it and think it's time," said parent Kathy-Ann Rainforth. "Kids need to be in school. Social outcomes and mental health outcomes; they are happiest in school."
Paul Wozney, president of the Nova Scotia Teachers Union, says he has lingering concerns about the current back-to-school plan laid out by the province.
"We are desperately in arrears in terms of progress about boosting and vaccinating staff and children," said Wozney, who added he is braced for a possible shortage of teachers and staff that could cause schools to close again.
"There is just so much more pressure that is on the systems because of Omicron. We are going to have hundreds of staff on a daily basis that are required to self-isolate."
Nova Scotia Education Minister Becky Druhan said HEPA air filters are now in 71 schools and the province has provided students and teachers with three-layer masks.
"We were happy to welcome students back into class," said Druhan.
"Can I predict what COVID-19 is going to throw our way? No, I cannot for sure. But I do have the confidence that we have the agility and flexibility to handle a lot, as we've seen folks do to date and we will continue to do moving forward."
As for what lies ahead, parent Alex Liot is worried about the long-term effects of multiple years of learning impacted by school closures.
"At home learning was good but really needs to be much better," said Liot, who added he does not see the current remote learning format as being a viable alternative.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'He's in our hearts': Family and friends still seek answers one year after Nathan Wise’s disappearance
It’s been a year since Nathan Wise went missing and his family is no closer to finding out what happened to him.
'My family doctor just fired me': Ontario patients frustrated with de-rostering
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
Ottawa pizzeria places among top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world at international competition
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.
Canada Post cracks down on Nunavut loophole to get free Amazon Prime shipping
Amazon's paid subscription service provides free delivery for online shopping across Canada except for remote locations, the company said in an email. While customers in Iqaluit qualify for the offer, all other communities in Nunavut are excluded.
Wildfire near Fort McMurray more than triples overnight, several evacuation alerts remain in place
The fire burning near Fort McMurray grew from 25 hectares to 5,500 hectares over the weekend.
Putin replaces Russian defence minister in rare cabinet shakeup
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin began a Cabinet shakeup on Sunday, proposing the replacement of Sergei Shoigu as defence minister as he begins his fifth term in office.
Man fatally 'slashed in the neck' in downtown Toronto, suspect outstanding
Police are searching for a male suspect after a man was “slashed in neck” on Sunday morning in downtown Toronto and died.
WATCH Dashcam video shows terrifying near-miss on two-lane northern Ontario highway
There were some scary moments for several people on a northern Ontario highway caught on video Thursday after a chain reaction following a truck fire.
Edibles, armchairs and adapters: Here are the recalls for this week
Health Canada announced various product recalls this week, including electric adapters, armchairs, cannabis edibles and vehicle components.