Schools across the region are set to open Monday.
Dr. Kit Young Hoon is the Medical Officer of Health for the Northwestern Health Unit and says she supports the return to in-class learning.
“School closures have been documented to have a negative affect on children’s health. So things such as physical activity get reduced, nutrition tends to worsen, and mental health tends to worsen with school closures. Although the Omicron variant is highly transmissible, the risk of serious illness and hospitalization is not high in our school-aged population”
She stresses the benefits significantly outweigh the risks of COVID-19.
Dr. Young Hoon encourages parents to have the conversation with kids if there are concerns about returning to school next week.
All students and staff must complete the School Screening Tool each day before school. “Not every symptom requires a full isolation period or isolation of family members. It is important to read the instructions carefully if you fail the screen,” adds Dr. Young Hoon.
The health unit will be notified by schools when there is approximately 30% absenteeism in a school due to illness.
This is a requirement that has been in place for many years and schools are familiar with the process.
Upon notice of high absenteeism rates, Northwestern Health Unit notifies parents/guardians and works with the school to ensure all infection prevention and control measures are in place.
Parents/guardians and schools do not need to report positive test results to public health, instead they should visit www.ontario.ca/exposed for information on what to do next.
Nearly 50% of children aged 5 to 11 in the region have their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
