Teachers frustrated waiting for COVID-19 vaccine without stronger health measures

NEW WESTMINSTER (NEWS 1130) — Teachers in B.C.’s hottest COVID-19 zones are upset they may have to wait until spring to get immunized against COVID-19 while they’re still demanding stronger safety measures in schools.

Twelve local BC Teachers’ Federation presidents are outlining their concerns in a letter, calling for improved timeliness to contact tracing and exposure notices. Teachers also want to see mandatory masks as well as less classroom density.

Sarah Wethered, the president of the New Westminster Teachers’ Union, says members have no idea when they can be vaccinated.

“Before the winter break, on the website, it said we would be done sometime in March or April and when we came back it was quite a shock to see we were no longer on the list,” she tells NEWS 1130, adding teachers want some kind of timeline.

The lack of information is frustrating for many of them, Wethered says, because they’re still at risk of being exposed to the virus.

“We don’t know whether public health orders were followed over the winter break and they’re now back in classrooms. In New Westminster, we haven’t had any exposure notices this week” she says. “It’s horrible to say, but I know we will have some in the next couple of days.”

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She adds exposure notices don’t disclose who has tested positive at a particular school, so that makes teachers more nervous about possibly being exposed.

“You can steel yourself and look at your email, and go ‘Oh my gosh.’ As local president, I get each and every exposure notice and every time I see something from the superintendent, my heart goes up in my throat and I just want to be sick inside,” Wethered says.

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There are more than 800 students in New West who are being home-schooled or learning online because their families don’t think it’s safe for them to come back, she says.

Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry confirmed Thursday teachers will have to wait until at least April to be immunized because there are not enough doses available right now. The priority remains immunizing the people most at risk, including seniors and long-term care workers.

As of Thursday, 41,064 British Columbians have received the COVID-19 shot and the province plans to immunize 150,000 people by February.

-with files from Paul James