Holy Trinity Moving To On-Line Learning Due To Variants Of Concern

By Robert Thomas

The appearance of Variants Of Concern in the community has the Holy Trinity Catholic Separate School Division (HTCSD) moving to on-line or distance learning effective next week in Moose Jaw.

In a March 26th letter to parents Sean Chase director of education at HTCSD wrote after meeting with public health officials on March 25th the decision was made to close schools in Moose Jaw.

“While our schools have been fortunate enough to have no reported cases of transmission in recent weeks, the rapid increase in COVID cases in the community is cause for great concern,” Chase wrote.

The rise of Variants of Concern (VOC) or mutations of the coronavirus which causes COVID - 19 has provincial health authorities concerned as the new variants are more readily transmissible than the original virus. Over time all viruses mutate to better adapt to their hosts.

The main VOC - B 1.1.7 UK - is listed as 70 percent more transmissible and 30 percent more virulent.

The move to close schools by HTCSD match the Prairie South School Division that attended the same meeting with Public Health officials.