“The kids are kind of victims in that situation right now. Morgan Lowrie, The Canadian Press
01/08/2021 07:01pm EST
MONTREAL Quebec on Friday defended its decision to reopen schools despite soaring COVID-19 infections and related hospitalizations, with one public health official saying classrooms aren’t the primary drivers of transmission.
The government announced new measures this week to curb rising infections, including an 8 p.m. curfew beginning Saturday, but chose to reopen primary schools as scheduled Jan. 11 and high schools a week later.
Education Minister Jean-Francois Roberge told a news conference Friday there was a “fairly strong consensus” in the province to reopen schools as quickly as possible after the winter break because of their importance to children’s overall well-being.