Though students and teachers head back to school in less than three weeks, there’s still no plan for what must be done if a student or teacher tests positive for COVID-19.
Dr. Charles Gardner, medical officer of health for the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit, said today the health unit is still waiting on a document from the province that all health units must follow in the event there’s a positive COVID case at a school.
“Time grows short, I agree,” Gardner noted during a media briefing today. “Ideally we would have it now, if not, a little while in the past. The later it comes, the more challenging it is for us.”
Gardner said there are other health care leaders and family physicians who play a role in the response to COVID in schools, and they too await instructions.
“We have a lot of interest right now among physicians and health care leaders about what would be expected,” said Gardner.
Though the health unit is still awaiting the province’s direction on outbreak management for schools, Gardner said the health unit will still be able to do case contact management in the interim.
Communication, however, might be a little different. The health unit will face a lot of questions from parents should one or more COVID cases be confirmed at a school.
“We will have to be proactive,” said Gardner.
The health unit has received word from the province they will receive enough funding to hire 20 more nurses for direct outreach to schools. Gardner said each nurse would be assigned a group of schools where they would be public health resources to field calls and follow-up and assist with any investigation.
“We don’t have the funding yet,” said Gardner, noting the health unit had to be cautious about recruiting and hiring the nurses without the funding in hand.
In the meantime, the health unit has been working with leadership at the region’s school boards to plan for back-to-school. On the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit website, a new page dedicated to “return to school” provides resources, frequently asked questions, and strategies for students, teachers and staff - all advice with the endorsement of the health unit.
The same information will be provided by the health unit to parents and guardians through their child’s school.
“The safe return to school is at the forefront of everyone’s minds right now and we know that it has been difficult to make decisions about whether to send your child or children to school or have them do on-line learning,” said Gardner, in a press release sent out by the health unit. “Everyone's situation is different, and the decision to send your children to school in person needs to be one that works for you and your family.”
Gardner reiterated school is important for students, and though there is a risk of transmission for COVID at school, not returning to school also does not completely eliminate that risk.
“There is no risk-free option with COVID-19 and it would be unrealistic to think that we can get through the next few months without some risk of exposure to COVID-19 in the school classroom,” said Gardner.
New COVID cases reported in the region are at an all-time low, with just four new cases in the last seven days.
“We’ve not been that low on cases since we first started … our first case was March 11,” said Gardner. “That’s a real milestone for us.”
According to the health unit website there are ten active, lab-confirmed cases in Simcoe County. Though there are two people hospitalized in the region, neither is in an intensive care unit.
For more information on the back-to-school plans for masking, screening, physical distancing, and sanitation, visit the health unit website.
