Winnipeg Free Press By: James Bedford
THE saying goes, “Life is what happens while we make other plans.” In the wake of 2020, there can be no doubt that even the sturdiest of plans and noblest of intentions are subject to the forces of bigger, unforeseen agendas.
Opinion
THE saying goes, Life is what happens while we make other plans. In the wake of 2020, there can be no doubt that even the sturdiest of plans and noblest of intentions are subject to the forces of bigger, unforeseen agendas.
Take, for example, the planned release of the Manitoba government’s K-12 Education Commission report, slated for early spring of last year. The novel coronavirus had other plans, raging into Manitoba and putting everything, from spring-break trips to highly anticipated government report releases, abruptly and indefinitely on hold.
The provincial government’s priority COVID-19 vaccination list does not include teachers.
“This is a slap in the face to all the teachers and education staff that have been on the frontlines of education since day one of this pandemic,” said Manitoba Teachers’ Society, President James Bedford. “This pandemic has proven that teachers are essential workers. They have put their health and safety at considerable risk to ensure that children continued to be educated. This government has failed teachers.”
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Essential workers, immunocompromised must wait for COVID vaccine shots as Manitoba determines priority by age
The praise being heaped on essential workers during the pandemic won t translate to an early vaccination in Manitoba at least, not yet.
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Essential workers are in close contact with people every day, but it doesn t put them higher on Manitoba s pecking order for a COVID-19 vaccination than other people of the same age. (Ben Nelms/CBC)
Reimer and other officials laid out, in broad strokes, the province s plan to distribute vaccines based on prioritizing certain groups. The province has already vaccinated thousands of people, including health-care workers in high-risk settings and residents of personal care homes.
Starting next week, vaccination teams will focus on long-term hospital patients and people who live in supportive housing where they are assisted with their daily needs.
The next phase, in March and April, will involve a wider swath of health-care workers, people in jails, shelters and other group settings, and the general population over age 80. After that, the minimum age will drop, Reimer said.