EDMONTON -- As the spread of COVID-19 rises rapidly across the country, some have proposed that extending the school winter break could help curb post-holiday infections—an idea experts warn may only work in theory.
Similar to the “circuit breaker” lockdown approach, the idea would be to break the potential chain of transmission by keeping kids out of school for two weeks following the holiday rush by either moving classes online, or extending the school year into the summer.
The idea has gained some traction on social media as Canadians begin to navigate the intricacies of holiday celebrations amid the ongoing pandemic.
On Thursday, Quebec Premier Francois Legault added fuel to the fire suggesting that his government is considering closing schools temporarily as cases in the province continue to increase.
"We have to consider all our options to break the wave," Legault said Thursday.
On Wednesday, Concordia University confirmed it will extend its break by one week, adding a week at the end of the term.
An extended winter break may seem like a great fail-safe on paper. But experts note there are far too many moving pieces to consider when weighing whether or not it will curb transmission.
“I can see the theoretical benefit of this, but on the other hand I don’t actually know if something like this would have any meaningful, real-world impact,” infectious disease expert Dr. Isaac Bogoch told CTVNews.ca by phone Friday.
“We know what the negative impact is already because we’ve been through it before in the first wave. Presumably, if this is a prolonged holiday for children, parents are back at work and we know that kids staying at home has a pretty profound, detrimental impact that disproportionately affects women and people in lower socioeconomic strata.”
Another big factor is how often people will forgo the advice of public health officials and partake in festivities outside their immediate households.
“I think we have far more interactions with others than we care to admit,” Bogoch noted.
“The government and the public health units certainly have significant responsibilities—they need to drive sound policies to keep community transmission low. But we have individual responsibilities as well, and there are certain things that are under our control. That includes who we get together with and how we get together.”
For example, if you commit to a 14-day quarantine before the holidays in an effort to keep those you plan on visiting safe, it will only be effective if you truly quarantine and stay home for 14 days. No visitors, no trips to the grocery store.
“It’s very clear that we are going to have a significant burden of illness throughout much of Canada by the holiday season. This is not going to be a normal holiday season,” Bogoch warned.
The idea of an extended winter break also sparks concerns for parents and teachers.
“Can you imagine if we extended the school year into July? Teachers will not rejuvenate, they will not recuperate, and we’re going to be looking at teachers that are going to leave the profession,” said Heidi Yetman, president of the Quebec Provincial Association of Teachers, told CTV Montreal.
On social media, those discussing the idea urge school boards to give parents advanced notice of potential closures so they can make arrangements for work.
In other provinces where cases are ballooning, including B.C. and Ontario, education officials say they are not considering an extended winter break.
In a statement to CTVNews.ca, B.C. education minister Rob Fleming said the risk of transmission in the province’s schools remains “quite low,” noting that the decision to close schools would fall under the direction of the provincial health officer and local health authorities.
However, he noted that private gatherings and violation of public health may change that guidance.
“The recent regional orders are based on evidence that social gatherings in private settings are causing significant COVID-19 transmission. People who ignore or violate this latest order bring exposure risks into their home – risks that they later take with them to their homes, schools and workplaces,” read the emailed statement from Fleming.
“We all need to reduce our social interactions so we can keep our schools and workplaces open.”
