Winnipeg School Division to use school gyms as COVID-19 testing sites for unvaccinated employees
The Winnipeg School Division has confirmed it will be using two high school gymnasiums as COVID-19 testing sites for unvaccinated employees.
Radean Carter, a senior information officer with the division, said the senior gymnasiums at Tec Voc High School and Grant Park High School will be used during the evenings and on Saturdays for testing.
A release posted to the division’s website states the sites will be cleaned and fogged daily following the testing.
The division said these locations were chosen because employees do not have to walk through the school to get tested.
The testing comes as new health orders go into effect Monday that require all employees to either show proof of full vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test completed within 48 hours.
Tests are to be done three times a week, with one of the tests observed by a neutral third party. The school division said it has hired a contract health care service to observe that test.
According to the release, any staff member who chooses to take the weekly testing can show full vaccination proof at any time and will nolongerbe required to take any additional testing.
The chosen testing sites are not sitting well for some Winnipeggers, with an online petition now circulating against the plan to use the schools as testing sites.
The petition questions a lack of consultation with the community and safety concerns for students, staff and families. Another concern is possible disruptions to school athletic programs due to the gymnasiums being used for COVID-19 testing.
Carter said the school gyms can still be used for regular classes and morning or noon practices.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Man who set himself on fire outside Trump trial dies of injuries, police say
A man who doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire outside the courthouse where former President Donald Trump is on trial has died, police said.
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
'It was joy': Trapped B.C. orca calf eats seal meat, putting rescue on hold
A rescue operation for an orca calf trapped in a remote tidal lagoon off Vancouver Island has been put on hold after it started eating seal meat thrown in the water for what is believed to be the first time.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
B.C. judge orders shared dog custody for exes who both 'clearly love Stella'
In a first-of-its-kind ruling, a B.C. judge has awarded a former couple joint custody of their dog.
Saskatoon police to search landfill for remains of woman missing since 2020
Saskatoon police say they will begin searching the city’s landfill for the remains of Mackenzie Lee Trottier, who has been missing for more than three years.
Shivering for health: The myths and truths of ice baths explained
In a climate of social media-endorsed wellness rituals, plunging into cold water has promised to aid muscle recovery, enhance mental health and support immune system function. But the evidence of such benefits sits on thin ice, according to researchers.