The Greater Victoria School District has posted a note to families on its website about the outbreak of a new strain of coronavirus, asking them to “not make assumptions about the risk of students or staff based on their ethnicity or travel history.”
Superintendent Shelley Green said the district hasn’t experienced specific problems, but the statement was sent because the issue has come up elsewhere in B.C.
The district’s note also says that the Ministry of Health has advised that individuals returning from affected regions do not need to be isolated at home or kept home from school.
The statements follow news this week of a petition calling for an Ontario school board north of Toronto to urge students who have recently returned from mainland China to “self-quarantine” for at least 17 days. In response, that district issued a statement asking parents not to make assumptions about the risk posed by others.
The B.C. Ministry of Education said in a statement that regular updates are being sent to school districts and independent schools to ensure that staff, students and families are well-informed about the virus outbreak.
“We have also reminded districts to review and refresh their public-health response plans.”
Sooke school board chairman Ravi Parmar said it has been “a wait-and-see approach” so far, with guidance coming from material provided by the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education.
A notice has been sent to staff, he said.
“It was just a reminder for folks as we get into flu season to wash your hands and also gather your information from good sources, because obviously there’s some unfortunate rumours and that sort of stuff going around when it comes to these sorts of outbreaks.”
St. Michaels University School head of school Mark Turner said in a statement that the school has convened a response committee of senior leaders and health-team staff “to prepare for a number of possible scenarios.”
Parents have been advised that any student with flu-like symptoms should not attend classes and hygiene-control efforts are being redoubled at the school, Turner said.
Plans for school events and trips are being reviewed on a case-by-case basis, as is the travel advice provided to students and families, he said.
All four school districts in the capital region have government links on their websites outlining details of the new strain of coronavirus.
— With files from The Canadian Press
