The Waterloo Region District School Board has a meeting scheduled for Friday night to discuss the recent changes announced by the province with regard to COVID-19.
The agenda for the meeting is unclear as the only item listed is “response to March 9, 2022, announcement from the chief medical officer of health.”
Global News has reached out to the WRDSB for further details on the meeting.
On Wednesday, the province announced it would be lifting the mandates for masks in schools on March 21, when students return from spring break. In addition, they would also lift cohorting and physical distancing requirements.
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“As we continue to ease public health measures, we are also working with the Ministry of Education to align measures in schools and child care with those in the community as much as possible,” said Dr. Kieran Moore, chief medical officer of health.
The province also put an end to on-site verification of screening for all students and staff, suggesting instead that they self-screen before attending school or child care every day and stay at home if they are experiencing new or worsening symptoms of illness.
On Thursday, the Waterloo Catholic District School Board announced that its would follow the province’s lead in regard to masks.
“In alignment with community masking requirements, masks will no longer be required by staff or students,” director Lorretta Notten said in a letter to parents. “With that said, we would encourage a gradual release of their use.”
She said rapid tests will still be available to students who are symptomatic and that cohorting measures will also be changing.
“We will start to see a loosening of distanced seating and cohorting, and classrooms will start to return to less restricted practices for teaching, collaborating and communicating,” Notten wrote.
Notten said graduations will occur once again and that the board will consider the options that are available.
— with files from Global News’ Caryn Lieberman
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