(File photo/paNOW Staff)

By Glenn Hicks

covid-19

SRPSD prepared for ‘potential’ of more COVID cases in schools

Apr 13, 2021 | 4:00 PM

The Saskatchewan Rivers Public School Division (SRPSD) says families need to be prepared for the potential for more COVID cases in schools given the increase in more transmissible variants. It says it’s also possible schools could move back to Level 4 home-based learning, although there is no move in that direction at the moment.

Director of education Robert Bratvold was speaking to paNOW following the return of students to the classroom after the Easter break.

“The cases of the variants—particularly in southern communities—are a concern with some potential anxieties,” Bratvold said, while reiterating the need for students and families to remain vigilant beyond the many safe protocols in schools.

“When students and staff go home or have to go out for those essential excursions in the community, they need to be careful with all those practices aimed at keeping us safe and stopping the spread,” he said.

Bratvold said the school division would continue to be guided by public health in any extra measures that will be helpful and noted 13 of the 33 schools across the division had not had a single case of COVID for the entire school year.

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Recent cases

There were two separate COVID cases reported at Carlton Comprehensive Public High School leading up to the recent holidays. Bratvold said the one reported on April 2 involving Grade 9 students has been “resolved” while the one reported March 29 “still has staff implications.”

“All related follow-up tests have confirmed no further cases, so it seems to be contained to the few staff that are still isolating,” he said.

Bratvold said it was not possible to speak about specific cases for privacy reasons even though the public was well aware of one recent case of an individual who has been hospitalized because of COVID. But he acknowledged the pandemic has had a significant impact on staff, and the school division “wants to support them as much as we can.”

Teachers not on vaccination list

This week, the Government of Saskatchewan announced police and fire fighters, along with remaining healthcare workers and some grocery store staff, will be getting the vaccine, but teachers are not on that list.

Bratvold labelled this diversion away from the age-based rollout of the vaccine delivery and non-inclusion of school-based staff “a challenging thing to see,” although he added he understood some of the rationale.

He said unlike some other groups that are set to get the vaccine, school staff have the ability to access personal protective equipment within a safe, controlled work environment, and schools can also move to different levels of service if the pandemic dictates.

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glenn.hicks@pattisonmedia.com

Twitter: @princealbertnow