How hospitals are helping teachers as kids return to school

There are a lot of things that provincial back-to-school guidelines don't cover—because they can't. Every school is different, and so are the neighbourhoods they serve. And as students return, teachers and administrators often need answers, quickly, to problems they couldn't have foreseen. This is where a new program led by hospitals and doctors in Toronto's east end comes in.

Each school is matched up with a doctor or hospital worker who can take their unique questions and come back to them with solutions. How can we do safe screenings with hundreds of kids and little outdoor space? How do you get toddlers to wear masks? What if physical distancing is impossible in my classroom? And at what point do we have to worry about uncontrolled outbreaks and school closures?

GUEST: Dr. Janine McCready, infectious disease physician, Michael Garron Hospital

We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:

Through email at [email protected] 

Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky