Niagara's top doctor thinks children should be back in the classroom.
Acting Medical Officer of Health Dr. Mustafa Hirji tells CKTB the region is at a point where we can reopen schools, given lower daily case numbers, and the trend is going down.
Hirji says the region currently has a low reproductive rate of 0.7-0.8 %.
Hirji is encouraging all residents 12+ to sign up for their vaccine.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford released a letter that he sent to more than 50 public health agencies, hospitals and teachers' unions, asking them for input on whether it's safe to re-open schools.
Ford says in the letter that his government understands the benefits of having students return to class for the last month of the academic year, but he says the impact of variants and relatively low rates of vaccinated teachers and students raise serious concerns about reopening schools.
Children in Ontario have been learning from home since April.
Hirji says he received the letter this morning and will be issuing a response, possibly a joint one with other medical officials, soon.