The Saskatchewan NDP are asking the province to ramp up COVID-19 testing in schools, after numerous outbreaks in the city.

Education Critic Carla Beck says with six outbreaks reported a day, the situation has spiralled out of control.

“We continue to see, from the province, support and messaging that has not been helpful,” said Beck. “And has, in fact, added to what the STF described this week as being a chaotic approach, and something that has been difficult for schools and families to deal with.”

Beck says schools have not been given clear instruction on how, or when, rapid testing systems would be rolled out.

“We know that the government has been sitting on these tests since December. It was over a month ago now, that the minister of health committed to getting these tests out into schools,” said Beck. “What we’ve seen though, despite an indication from the minister, some of the tests have been deployed to schools, but the expertise, and procedures and protocols around, have simply not been provided.”

Beck is hoping the province takes the two-week break from school as an opportunity to work with school divisions to establish clear protocols going forward.

“I don’t think there’s anyone in the province who wants to see students missing anymore school than is necessary,” said Beck. “If we want that to happen, we really do need to use every tool at our disposal, and work in collaboration between health and with school divisions to ensure that is a priority.”

Active cases for Regina youth have gone up from 120 to 193 week over week; from 350 to 413 overall in Saskatchewan.