Teachers are being denied access to PCR screening centers while the Ministries of Education and Health do not agree on the guidelines to be followed.
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“Everyone is angry, everyone is mixed up,” sighs Marie-Hélène Barrière, a specialized educator who traveled some 80 kilometers from Longueuil to Sorel on Tuesday to get tested before being refused.
Since January 15, school staff have been among the essential workers with access to PCR testing centres.
However, in the last few days, many education workers were surprised to be turned around once they got there.
The Patriotes and Grandes-Seigneuries school service centers both indicate that members of their staff have been denied access to screening. However, the schools have not received any new guidelines from the authorities.
It is that, without fanfare, the instructions were recently modified by the Ministry of Health: from now on, only teachers who do not have rapid tests in their environment have access to PCR screening, can we read on quebec.ca.
“No one was aware of this change […] Another good demonstration that the directives are constantly changing and that there is no clear communication, ”said Éric Gingras, president of the Centrale des unions du Québec.
In the office of the Minister of Education, it is maintained that there is an error: school staff must be able to be screened in the center, whether they have access to rapid tests or not, insists the press attaché Florent Tanlet.
Sac Ziploc
Karine Leblanc is a daycare educator in Verchères. On Wednesday, she woke up with a cocktail of symptoms: muscle pain, migraine, sore throat, fever all night, she says.
“I surrendered [dans un centre de dépistage à Boucherville] pain and misery.”
Once there, she was informed that she would not have access to testing and was given a Ziploc bag containing two rapid tests. Not even a complete box of five tests, like those given in pharmacies.
She had yet made an appointment online and checked that she worked in a school environment. At no time was she advised that she no longer met the criteria.
“Insulted”
“I was very insulted,” says Amélie Boudreau, a teacher who was refused screening in Brossard on Tuesday.
Similar testimonies, the Syndicat de Champlain says it has received a dozen in the last few days.
“It shows a lack of transparency and consideration for education staff. If keeping the schools open is really a priority, the boots should follow the chops,” said Jean-François Guilbault, president of the Syndicat de Champlain.
“Let them tune their violins”, impatient Sylvain Mallette of the Autonomous Federation of Education. He recalls that this kind of “loosely attached son” fuels suspicion, anger and insecurity in the community.
WHO IS SAYING TRUE?
- Minister Roberge’s office: all school staff can access PCR testing.
- The Ministry of Health: “School staff and those of the various childcare settings are among the priority clienteles, if they are symptomatic and in the absence of rapid tests in the environment.” –
- The CISSS of Montérégie-Centre: “There may have been a misunderstanding for people who came to our centers and we are sorry for that.”
- The CISSS of Montérégie-Est: «[Ils] are among the priority clienteles if […] they do not have rapid tests in their possession.”