Surrey teachers write to Dr. Bonnie Henry: "We are not safe"

Members of the Surrey Teachers’ Association have penned an open letter to BC Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry asking her to introduce stronger measures to prevent COVID-19 transmission in schools.

They want her to mandate mask wearing in school and reduce classroom capacity to 50% of normal.

“We are not safe. Teachers have contracted COVID-19 at school. One (that we know of) has been in the ICU,” the letter reads.

• See also:
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  • First BC healthcare workers vaccinated against COVID-19

It adds the 6,000 teachers making these demands teaching in a district that’s overcrowded and growing, and classes often have limited ability to physically distance.

Read the full letter from association president Matt Westphal:

An open letter from @SurreyTeachers to Dr. Bonnie Henry: “We are not safe.” #bced #bcpoli pic.twitter.com/xK9t0yTIcC

— Matt Westphal (@vauvent) December 15, 2020