Some students continue with online learning in Algoma

As a majority of students return to in-class learning this week, several parents with children attending public schools in Algoma District are opting for online instruction.

 This comes as immunization rates for elementary and secondary students continue to climb.

Officials at Algoma District School Board said online learning will remain an option until Feb. 4 for elementary students and until the end of the current semester for high schoolers.

Board chair Jennifer Sarlo said a similar number of students in elementary and high school are learning from home.

"We have 9.7 per cent of our elementary students deciding to stay at home with virtual learning," said Sarlo.

"For our secondary students, we have just over 10 per cent -- 10.3 per cent -- of our secondary students have chosen virtual learning."

Sarlo said the board was able to procure masks and HEPA filters for schools in the days before reopening to in-class learning.

"Our plant department had to work pretty hard to get all that distributed throughout all our schools, but we're really thankful we were able to get that ahead of time," said Sarlo.

Algoma Public Health's director of immunization said more than half of students ages 5-17 have received their first COVID-19 vaccine dose.

"In Algoma, children aged five to 11 years old have a 54 per cent coverage rate for COVID-19 paediatric vaccination," said Roylene Bowden. "Those who are aged 12 to 17, we are at an 83 per cent coverage rate."

Bowden said the health unit may adopt a more targeted approach to vaccinations in schools.

"As we continue through and offer both appointment and walk-in clinic opportunities, we'll look at those coverage rates and take a more targeted approach to some of the schools that may need a little more on-site assistance with immunization coverage," she said.

Bowden said they are planning an immunization blitz to correspond with the Feb. 4 PD day. She said second doses of COVID-19 vaccine are expected to be administered to school-aged children starting this week.