Schools across the region will reopen on May 17 after an announcement was made by chief public health officer Dr. Kami Kandola, May 12.
Superintendents Ed Lippert of the Yellowknife Education District and Simone Gessler of the Yellowknife Catholic School Board stated in letters to parents that positive developments related to vaccines have led to the decision to get students back into classrooms.
SA国际影视传媒淓ncouraged by the uptake in vaccinations of the 12-17 year-old population, adherence to isolation requirements, widespread testing and that there appears to be no occupational spread amongst the school staff population, the OCPHO has announced that schools in Yellowknife, NSA国际影视传媒檇ilo, Dettah and Behchoko can safely reopen,SA国际影视传媒� according to the letter.
SA国际影视传媒淚t is anticipated that by May 16, 2021, 60 per cent of the 12-17 year-old population across these communities will have received their first dose of the PfizerNBiotech vaccine and the majority of people deemed to be contacts will have completed the mandatory isolation period.SA国际影视传媒�
The letter SA国际影视传媒渉ighly encouragesSA国际影视传媒� children who are eligible to receive vaccination if they havenSA国际影视传媒檛 done so.
New safety measures
The school board reports that students and staff will see continued and new safety measures.
SA国际影视传媒淪afety measures currently in place such as increased cleaning of high touch areas, classroom bubbles and masking in common spaces will continue and be adhered to strictly.SA国际影视传媒�
Among the new measures as part of safe school opening plans, the OCPHO is banning assemblies and indoor singing, though those activities can take place outdoors with proper social distancing.
All gym classes will take place outdoors and cannot take place inside.
SA国际影视传媒淚f weather prevents outdoor activities, then classes must switch to another learning activity,SA国际影视传媒� according to the release.
The CPHO is also banning face-to-face pairings and groupings in seating as all students must be organized in SA国际影视传媒渇orward-facing seating arrangements only.SA国际影视传媒�
In a press conference Wednesday, R.J. Simpson, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment (ECE), told reporters that since the beginning of the school year ECE has supported schools with funding to ensure adequate stock of PPE and cleaning supplies. He said that $14 million had already been allocated to the schools who SA国际影视传媒渟hould be well positionedSA国际影视传媒� to handle additional measures announced for MondaySA国际影视传媒檚 reopening.
Masks, bussing and screening
Mandatory masking is required for all students and staff at all times and buses will have mandatory ventilation with windows open when transporting students.
SA国际影视传媒淭his means having one to two windows open at the front of the bus and one to two windows open at the back to ensure airflow,SA国际影视传媒� states the letter.
SA国际影视传媒淏uses will require dedicated, assigned seating. Students must sit in their assigned seat and no switching will be allowed.SA国际影视传媒�
The OCPHO is putting SA国际影视传媒渟tringent screening guidelinesSA国际影视传媒� where students and staff will be required to self-screen before entering school.
SA国际影视传媒滱ny student or staff who is symptomatic with ANY symptoms is required to stay at home,SA国际影视传媒� states the letter.
SA国际影视传媒淭here is no such thing as minor or major symptoms anymore. This applies to school and after-school or extracurricular activities.SA国际影视传媒�
A new screening tool is expected to be available in the near future and any confirmed COVID cases in members of the same household will be required to complete SA国际影视传媒渢he full mandatory isolation period before returning to school.SA国际影视传媒�
SA国际影视传媒淭hese affected households will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Each household will receive specific instructions from public health that will outline when their isolation is complete and are able to return to school.SA国际影视传媒�
N.J. Macpherson School
Students and staff from N.J. Macpherson School are required to be re-tested and must confirm a negative COVID-19 test result before returning to school. This is for families from that school only, according to the OCPHO.
Territorial Medical Director AnneMarie Pegg encouraged families to access the the pop-up testing clinic at N.J. MacPherson between days 10 and 14 of their isolation. That way, she said, results are likley to be accessible by day 14 when residents would end their isolation. While teams, are working hard to ensure timely test results, she said that delays of a day or two are possible and would result in prolonged isolations.
To reduce exposure contact, anyone outside of the N.J. MacPherson school outbreak who is experiencing symptoms should be tested at the testing centre and not at the N.J. MacPherson pop-up, Pegg said.
She directed residents with further questions about who should be tested and when to the NTHSSA website ().
As of Tuesday night, 61 cases were confirmed in Yellowknife. New infections are mainly related to household transmission, Kanolda said Wednesday. The OCPHO have not identified any cases outside of the school outbreak, meaning there is no community spread identified in Yellowknife at this time.
Kandola said she would be looking to update Emerging Wisely and ease restrictions, starting with outdoor gatherings, by the end of May.
