The chief doctor of Eastern Ontario hopes that the new school year will be "as normal as possible," indicating that school closures or imposing new restrictions would pose a greater risk to children than COVID-19.

Teachers, students, and parents are preparing to return to school in September for the fourth academic year since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The school years 2019-2020, 2020-21, and 2021-22 were marked by temporary school closures, classroom shutdowns, and gatherings at schools at different times.

In his weekly speech on the COVID-19 situation, Eastern Ontario’s medical officer Dr. Paul Romeliotis said community protection programs will help schools this fall.

Dr. Romeliotis said, "I think it is important for children to return to school as normally as possible."

"As a pediatrician, I can tell you that I believe the risk of closing schools and imposing all these restrictions in schools is probably higher than the risk of contracting COVID at this stage, although we still need to do our best to vaccinate everyone and use other protection programs as well."

The Eastern Ontario Health Unit reported a decrease in the COVID-19 vaccine uptake rate for children under five since its approval this summer.

During the summer, the health unit was "strongly recommending" people take steps to protect against COVID-19, including keeping up with the COVID-19 vaccine, wearing masks in public indoor places and crowded outdoor events, and staying home if sick.

Dr. Romeliotis said the health unit continues to roll out the fourth dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, saying it has helped reduce cases in the area.