Grade school students in B.C. will not be getting an extended winter break this year due to the pandemic, unlike their counterparts in Alberta or some post-secondary schools in B.C.
Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said Monday (Dec. 7) that while COVID-19 exposures have become quite common in some communities, transmission within the school system has been limited.
Henry said the large number of exposures in the school system is reflective of transmission within the greater community.
“We are not having large numbers of transmission events in schools, those are very small and very few,” Henry said. “Schools really are a safe place and an important place for our educators and our students.”
She said they considered closing schools early or extending winter breaks, discussing the situation with “many stakeholders” and decided that the downsides of closing schools outweigh the benefits.
BC Teachers Federation (BCTF) president Teri Mooring said on Twitter Monday night that the union had not been consulted on the decision.
“It’s unclear to me why this issue didn’t go to the Ministry steering committee where all the stakeholders are represented. Obviously communication continues to be very problematic,” Mooring said.
In Prince George, 11 schools have been alerted for possible COVID-19 exposure since students returned to the classroom in September.
They are:
- Heather Park Elementary (SD57) - Dec. 1-2, 2020
- Shas Ti-Kelly Road Secondary (SD57) - Nov. 30, Dec. 1-2, 2020
- Peden Hill Elementary (SD57) - Nov. 12-17, 17-20, 24-27, 2020
- Sacred Heart Elementary (Diocese of Prince George) - Nov. 25-27, 2020
- Ecole College Heights Elementary (SD57) - Nov. 19-20, 20-24, 2020
- Beaverly Elementary (SD57) - Nov. 23-24, 2020
- Foothills Elementary (SD57) - Nov. 23, 2020
- Prince George Secondary (SD57) - Nov. 218, 2020; Oct. 2, 2020
- Van Bien Elementary (SD57) - Nov. 9-10, 2020
- Ron Brent Elementary (SD57) - Oct. 30, 2020
- Immaculate Conception School (Diocese of Prince George) - Oct. 21-23, 2020
