The Province will launch school-based vaccine clinics when students return to in-person learning next week.

The government will also provide rapid antigen tests for students and staff in public elementary and secondary schools, along with children and staff in child care settings.

“We are meeting the unique challenges presented by the Omicron variant head-on as we do everything we can to support in-person learning,” said Education Minister Stephen Lecce.

“Our government is taking nothing for granted, which is why we are launching school-based vaccination clinics, distributing millions of rapid antigen tests and have deployed non-fit-tested N95 masks to staff and three-ply masks to students.”

Current vaccination rates among children aged 12 to 17 years old are encouraging with more than 82 per cent having received two doses. Of children aged five to 11 years old, nearly 50 percent have received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, according to the Province.

“In the coming days, parents will receive a form offering the opportunity to safely and conveniently provide public health units the authority to vaccinate their child at a school-based vaccine clinic,” reads a media release.

More than 3.9 million rapid antigen tests are being shipped to school boards this week, with additional tests to be delivered next week, according to the media release.

“The use of the tests is for symptomatic individuals, who will be required to take two rapid tests 24 hours apart, and upon negative results can return to class,” it reads.