Just days away from the start of the school year, the Manitoba government is outlining more details on the province’s plans to head back to school amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Education minister Kelvin Goertzen said the province has prepared a number of materials for parents, staff and students ahead of the return to class to answer any questions they may have.
“We certainly see that there is that anxiousness,” Goertzen said. “And to the best of our ability in terms of providing answers in advance to those questions, we hope that that will alleviate some of the anxiousness.”
“Information, of course, is power. And whenever you can provide that information, you’re helping parents and others who work in the system.”
The documents offer guidance on mask use, an explanation of what parents can expect and details on how changes related to COVID-19 at schools will affect day-to-day routines.
The province also offers guidance for cases of COVID-19 in schools and child care centres as well as COVID-19 screening protocols, and information on how public health and schools will respond if a student or staff member tests positive for COVID-19.
In a letter to parents, Brent Roussin, chief public health officer, says there will be cases linked to schools, but everyone is working to limit spread of the novel coronavirus.
If health officials confirm a positive case in a school, contact tracing is to begin within 24 hours. Close contacts of a student will be advised to self-isolate and whether testing is necessary.
Health officials are also to inform the school and other parents will be notified if there was a risk the child was infectious inside the classroom.
The province also says it will be up to health officials to inform families when students can return to school after they have quarantined.
The materials will be available on the province’s website and the release says printed versions will also be “available for distribution where appropriate.” The information will be also be updated as required throughout the school year, the province says.
“We have developed a Restoring Safe Schools information package to help address the most frequently asked questions and areas of concerns, and grouped the answers for easy access,” Goertzen said.
“We commend teachers and staff who are returning to schools this week to make schools and classrooms as COVID-19 safe as possible for students returning on Sept. 8.”
Goertzen announced the province’s plan to have all students return for in-school learning and unveiled the government’s practice guidelines and protocols around the return to school in late July, but each division was given until mid-August to post their individual plans for reopening.
While the province originally refused to mandate masks in schools — instead, saying it preferred to “strongly recommend” them — the rules have since been amended as the province has seen a marked increase in cases over the last few weeks.
The Manitoba government said Tuesday it is expanding its previously announced rules for masks on school buses.
The government now says all students, drivers and any other passengers on school buses will be required to wear masks.
Students across the province will head back to school Sept. 8, and teachers returned to the classroom Wednesday to get ready.
Originally, the province was planning to require mask use on school buses for only Grades 4 and up.
The Opposition New Democrats have criticized the Progressive Conservative government for not making class sizes smaller or investing in mental health clinicians and other supports. NDP leader Wab Kinew said the detailed information should also have been provided sooner.
“Parents are being asked to do a ton more homework this year than any year before,” Kinew said. “The government, just a few days before school is open, is now finally sharing their plans.”
Liberal Leader Dougald Lamont echoed those concerns.
“It’s a little bit like somebody who waits too long and tries to slip their essay under the door of the (professor) before midnight,” Lamont said.
Goertzen said he understands parents have concerns, but it’s important for children’s education and social development that they return to school.
“The best place for a child’s learning is in the classroom.”
On Wednesday, provincial health officials announced 13 new cases of COVID-19 had been identified in Manitoba, bringing the province’s total number of known cases reported since March to 1,244 — of which 454 are active.
Since March, 14 Manitobans have died as a result of COVID-19.
–With files from Marney Blunt and The Canadian Press
Questions about COVID-19? Here are some things you need to know:
Symptoms can include fever, cough and difficulty breathing — very similar to a cold or flu. Some people can develop a more severe illness. People most at risk of this include older adults and people with severe chronic medical conditions like heart, lung or kidney disease. If you develop symptoms, contact public health authorities.
To prevent the virus from spreading, experts recommend frequent handwashing and coughing into your sleeve. They also recommend minimizing contact with others, staying home as much as possible and maintaining a distance of two metres from other people if you go out. In situations where you can’t keep a safe distance from others, public health officials recommend the use of a non-medical face mask or covering to prevent spreading the respiratory droplets that can carry the virus. In some provinces and municipalities across the country, masks or face coverings are now mandatory in indoor public spaces.
For full COVID-19 coverage from Global News, click here.
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