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
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
2 teens charged in Halifax homicide: police
Two teenagers have been charged with second-degree murder in connection to an alleged homicide near the Halifax Shopping Centre earlier this week.
Montreal actress calls Weinstein ruling 'discouraging' but not surprising
A Montreal actress, who has previously detailed incidents she had with disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, says a New York Court of Appeals decision overturning his 2020 rape conviction is 'discouraging' but not surprising.
'Deep ignorance': Calls for Manitoba trustee to resign sparked after comments about Indigenous people and reconciliation
A rural Manitoba school trustee is facing calls to resign over comments he made about Indigenous people and residential schools earlier this week.
B.C. tenants evicted for landlord's use after refusing large rent increase to take over neighbouring suite
Ashley Dickey and her mother rented part of the same Coquitlam duplex in three different decades under three different landlords.
Here's why Harvey Weinstein's New York rape conviction was tossed and what happens next
Here's what you need to know about why movie mogul Harvey Weinstein's rape conviction was thrown out and what happens next.
12-year-old hippo in Japan raised as a male discovered to be a female
When Gen-chan arrived at a zoo in Japan in 2017, no one questioned whether the then-five-year-old hippopotamus was a boy. Seven years later, zoo staff made a surprising discovery: Gen-chan, now 12, was female.
Improve balance and build core strength with this exercise
When it comes to cardiovascular fitness, you may tend to focus on activities that move you forward, such as walking, running and cycling.