Dear families:
Further to our correspondence last week,
we are aware of confirmation by Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health
regarding a confirmed case of novel coronavirus in Toronto. At this time,
Public Health agencies have not communicated any concern or connection between
this case and any school in York Region, including ours.
Our school board is in communication with
public health agencies, including a conference call, on Sunday, with Ontario’s
Chief Medical Officer of Health. They continue to reiterate that risk to
Ontarians remains low and that additional measures at the school level are not
necessary. Our school will continue to
operate as normal. We depend on you as our closest partners in education to
respond based on scientific medical advice and reinforce the following healthy
practices by children during the peak flu season:
●
Wash hands well and often with
soap and warm water.
●
Cover your mouth and nose when you
sneeze or cough; cough and sneeze into your sleeve or arm or a tissue and
discard the tissue after use.
●
Contact your health practitioner
and stay at home if you are ill.
York Region Public Health is not advising
the wearing of masks. Please do not send your child to school wearing a mask,
as this may unnecessarily elevate concerns among students and may cause
increased risk of infection to the user. You can read more information about recommendations from Ontario’s Ministry of Health on what
you can do to protect yourself.
As
you are aware, there is heightened sensitivity and some misinformation on
social media regarding the novel coronavirus.
You are encouraged to focus on the messages coming from our public health
agencies as trusted sources of information. We are in close contact with York
Region Public Health and are fully prepared to respond to advice and direction
aimed at protecting the health of our school community. Our caretakers continue
to provide very thorough and effective cleaning and disinfection as part of
their routine duties. York Region Public
Health has stated that no enhanced cleaning or disinfecting is recommended at
this time.
As per standard school practice, all
school staff are encouraged to be vigilant for students who are ill and to
report any concerns to the principal.
Students who are ill should remain at home and families should contact
their health care practitioner.
For up to date information, please visit www.york.ca/coronavirus, www.ontario.ca/coronavirus
or www.canada.ca/coronavirus.
As we receive additional information from
public health agencies, we will pass it on to our families. If you have any
questions or concerns, please contact York Region Public Health at
1-800-361-5653.
