The province is outlining how schools need to deal with cases of COVID-19.
It has released a 20 page document outlining the roles of schools, school boards and health units and the steps the government expects will be taken in the event of an outbreak.
Minister of Education Stephen Lecce says the end goal is to maximize safety and minimize risk.
The new guidance includes the following:
-A protocol has been developed to deal with students who become ill while they are at school, including isolation, and providing personal protective equipment to the ill student and staff attending to them;
-A clear communications process will be followed, so parents will know if a student or staff member in a school tests positive for COVID-19;
-School boards will be required to work closely with public health units to communicate updates in real time and determine whether a class or school must be closed;
-Led by Ontario Public Health, the government intends to surveillance test asymptomatic secondary students in schools.
Lecce notes “If someone in the school, whether it be a student or staff tests positive for COVID-19, the school community is properly notified. Immediate and rigorous contact tracking kicks-in.
He adds if necessary, class cohorts will be tested, sent home or closed until the outbreak is declared over.
The plan calls on school boards to create a page on their website’s to include information if there’s a confirmed case of coronavirus at any one of their schools.
Lecce insists schools will be safe.
“We can not and will not allow students to return to school without the necessary support and resources to enable them to be confident and feel safe right from the start.”
Lecce adds he respects any parents decision not to send their child to school and let them learn remotely.