Job Description
Medical Officers support return to school
Medical Officers support return to school
Posted on 01/14/2022
The Medical Officers of Health from HastingsPrinceEdwardPublicHealth(HPEPH)andKingston,Frontenac,andLennox&AddingtonPublicHealth(KFL&APH)havereleased a joint statement regarding the upcoming return to in-person learning for students and educators across the region.
As we enter yet another year of the pandemic, we remain committed to workingwith local school communities to help students stay in class and to do so as safely as possible. We support the return to in-person learning on January 17. Keepingstudentsin class is beneficial for mental, social, and physical health.
Throughout the pandemic, public health measures have been effective at limitingthespreadofCOVID-19inschools.WhiletheriskofCOVID-19cannotbeeliminated when community transmission is high, risk of transmission in schools is significantly reducedby the many layers of protection that have beenput in place, including:
- Screening for symptoms before attending school and staying home with symptoms of illness
- Thorough cleaning and sanitization
- Cohorting as much as possible, physical distancing, and masking, including access to three-ply masks for students, as needed
- Frequent hand hygiene
- Active screening and isolation of individuals with symptoms, their household members, and high-risk contacts
- Enhanced ventilation and HEPA filters as outlined by the Ministry of Education
- High levels of vaccination in students aged 12 to 18 years, and rising levels of vaccination in students aged 5 to 11 years
- Rapid Antigen Tests (RAT) for students and staff in schools and child care
- Take home PCR tests for students who develop symptoms at school, when available
- Reporting of higher than normal absenteeism rates to public health which will trigger a review of infection prevention and control measures in the school
The COVID-19 monitoring and response strategy has changed. We have had to makechanges to how we respond to the virus. The Omicron variant is highly transmissible,and spreads at a rapid rate and therefor widespread testing has limited value in slowingthe virus. As a result, all individuals with symptoms of COVID-19 can be presumed to beinfected with the virus and must isolate as directed. Without confirmatory testing, theseindividualswill not be permitted to attendschool until their isolation period is complete.
Public Health has already established protocols in place under The HealthProtection and Promotion Act, 1990 to respond to infectious disease outbreaks inschoolsettings.Whentheabsenteerateinaschoolorchildcaresettingincreasessharply by approximately 30 per cent, a notification will be provided to schoolfamilies with information on any additional public health measures that should be followed. Routine notification of families and exclusion of cohorts will not betaking place. Exposures that occur only in the school setting, with public healthmeasures in place, will not typically be considered high-risk, and therefore, noactionisrequiredbyothersinacohort-otherthanregularsymptommonitoring.
We must all work together to keep the risk as low aspossible. Everyone inthe community, including staff, students, and families, must monitor diligentlyforillnessandfollowdirectionsforisolationwhenapplicable.Tohelplimitthe spreadofillnessinthecommunity,weencourageeveryonetogetvaccinated.
Together with our school community partners, we look forward to welcomingstudents back to in-person learning.The return to class will provideimmeasurable benefits to the mental and physical well-being of all students andtheir families. We know that there may be questions and concerns in responseto changes, and you can be reassured that we will continue to work with school partners to support a safe and healthy return to school throughout these changes.
Dr.PiotrOglaza
Medical Officer of Health
KFL&A Public Health
Dr.EthanToumishey
Acting Medical Officer of Health
Hastings Prince Edward Public Health
The Limestone District School Board is situated on traditional territories of the Anishinaabe & Haudenosaunee.
Limestone District School Board
220 Portsmouth Avenue, Kingston, ONK7M 0G2 | Phone 613-544-6920 Contact the webmaster | Website by SchoolMessenger Presence 2024 SchoolMessenger Corporation. All rights reserved.
#J-18808-Ljbffr