As COVID-19 cases rise, rapid tests being deployed in dozens of schools across Quebec – CBC

20% of Quebec schools are reporting cases of COVID-19

Sep 13, 2021

Quebec will use rapid testing to detect cases of COVID-19 in 72 schools across the province, starting Monday.

Most are in areas with a high number of active cases, including the Montreal neighbourhoods of Parc-Extension and Montréal-Nord, as well as Chomedey in Laval.

About 20 per cent of schools across the province are reporting cases of COVID-19, which accounts for about 600 schools and more than 1,000 positive cases.

The province has said it would be testing symptomatic children, but hasn’t said how the tests would be rolled out.

Heidi Yetman, the president of the Quebec Provincial Association of Teachers, says the provincial government should have made it clearer to school employees how it would work.

“Again, it seems like they’re using the employees on the ground to try to get these tests rolling instead of hiring people,” Yetman said.

“Again, the government puts out things and then just doesn’t follow through or expects staff on the ground to do that extra work.”

Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/rapid-tests-72-quebec-schools-1.6173295