Schools taking over: Calgary board assumes responsibility for COVID-19 notifications
Now that Alberta Health Services (AHS) indicated it was stepping back from the process of informing parents about positive cases of COVID-19 in their children's schools, some school boards say they will take on the job.
The Calgary Board of Education (CBE) announced last week its commitment to the pandemic response and will share details of positive cases that are reported to them by families.
"If families report a positive case to the school, you are providing consent for the school to send out a notice to specific classes associated with the self-reported case, as well as a general notice to the school community at the end of the school day," the CBE's chief superintendent of schools Christopher Usih wrote in a letter sent home to parents on Friday.
The notifications will not include any personal information about the case and will not be sent out on the weekends, Usih said.
In addition to informing their school if their child has caught COVID-19, parents are also reminded to complete their daily health checklists each day before they attend classes.
"It is important that your child stay home when sick, but it is also important for them to attend school if they are feeling well. As close contacts are no longer required to isolate, if you choose to keep your child at home, it will be marked as an unexcused absence."
Alberta Teachers Association president Jason Shilling said he was hoping the province would provide a more structured plan rather than leaving decisions to administrators.
AHS is still being kept informed about the number of infections at schools and the CBE says it will consider other measures when necessary.
"If there is a 10 per cent or greater student absentee rate that includes similar symptoms, AHS may declare an outbreak," the letter reads.
"Families will be informed if an outbreak is declared at their school and these notices will be posted to the school website."
The Edmonton Public School Board (EPSB) said, in a statement, it has been using the same policy since the beginning of the school year.
"A letter was sent home on the first day from the superintendent, letting families know about the process we would use this year," said EPSB spokesperson Carrie Rosa in an email to CTV News.
"If we are made aware of a positive case, we are letting the class and whole school know."
The provincial government, in addition to loosening the rules about sharing details on positive cases, is also no longer publicly sharing any data about confirmed outbreaks in schools. Its website says it will “continue to support schools to manage outbreaks.”
Meanwhile, an advocacy group working to improve conditions for Alberta students and their families criticized the change in policy.
"Schools will not be required to share COVID-19 positive cases with families," wrote the Support Our Students on its website.
"School community members do not need to disclose positive test results to schools. This dismantling of the public health support for schools is unacceptable."
All parents in the CBE who wish to stay informed of positive cases in their children's schools should make sure administrators have their current e-mail address on file.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.