Dear Parents,
The situation with the COVID-19 virus has evolved to become a global concern and is now in the news on a daily basis. In Alberta we continue to follow the recommendations of Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Alberta’s Chief Medical Health Officer. Currently, the risk to our communities continues to be low. The specific risks to children are described to be even lower than with adults.
For specific information and the most recent updates, please visit the province’s website:
https://www.alberta.ca/
In the last few days, our schools are receiving more questions from parents about travel and safety. What should you do if you are returning from a trip?
- If a student has visited a Grand Princess Cruise, Iran or China’s Hubei province in the last 14 days, it is recommended that they self-isolate until two weeks have passed since that visit. This is recommended even if they are feeling well.
- Parents should call Health Link 811 for additional precautions and follow-up testing if their children have travelled to anywhere outside of Canada and experienced any of the following:
- contact with someone who was suspected or confirmed to have the novel coronavirus
- were in a health-care facility
- have symptoms, such as cough or fever
AHS encourages hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette. This means covering your mouth if you sneeze or cough, regularly washing your hands and avoid touching your face.
In our Golden Hills’ Schools we are also doing the following:
- Students are encouraged to wash their hands regularly with soap and water
- Students are reminded to avoid touching their face with unwashed hands
- Increased daily cleaning of all touchable surfaces (door handles and stair railings)
- Increased frequency of student desk cleaning in the classroom
Alberta Health Services continues to monitor this situation very carefully and we are following the precautions they recommend.
As of today, there are 7 cases in Alberta and the risks continue to be described as low. The safety of our students is always a priority. If your children are sick, please keep them home from school.
We will notify you if there are any changes to the recommendations we are currently following. We also have a Pandemic Plan in place should the situation warrant more significant action. That plan can be found here: GHSD Pandemic Plan
If you have additional questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact your child’s school.
Bevan Daverne
Superintendent of Schools
Golden Hills School Division