OK Given For School To Continue After COVID - 19 Case Detected At Prince Arthur School
By Robert Thomas
Attending school at Prince Arthur School is safe and other than the normal precautions enacted already by the Prairie South School Division (PSSD) public health has given the green light to classes and parents can safely continue to send their children to school.
That’s the good word from Tony Baldwin superintendent for Prairie South.
“They (public health) said we are safe to carry on with school. They have talked to those who were in close contact with ths case,” he said.
“Anyone who had close contact has been advised by public health. We don’t do the contact tracing,” Baldwin said. “If public health has not called you should carry on and go to school.”
Letters were sent out to all parents by school principal Jackie Straub as information and to update anyone concerned who Baldwin praised for doing an “exceptional job.”
Baldwin said collaboration between PSSD, staff at Prince Arthur School and the local public health department made the entire process of the detection, preventing any potential further spread and the contact tracing of all of those who had contact with the person who was found to have contracted COVID - 19 worked like clockwork.
“I am proud how the system worked,” Baldwin said.
The system PSSD employs in its schools is based upon meticulous record keeping, wearing masks by students in grade four and higher grades, cleaning, working with parents, a temporary well equipped room for those who become ill during the day and cooperation from parents.
“We have some records we are keeping at the schools due to the COVID - 19 situation…We have a record of everybody who comes in and out of there. Who they sat to next to the bus, who they worked with in class, who they worked with in a group,” Baldwin said. “It is pretty comprehensive deal. It is a bit of a bummer for the kids. It has been a traditional start of the year and we are happy to keep them safe.”
When the case was detected the school provided the records to public health who used them for their contact tracing.
Other measures used to fight any potential spread is keeping students in what is called a cohort. Children in a cohort, or a single class, are to stay with their group and there is to no mixing with other cohorts during the day. Steps are taken to prevent cohorts from meeting in hallways and outside at recess.
Although not perfect the cohort model helps to prevent any potential spread at the school but outside school time PSSD leaves it up to the parents.
“There is some mixing at lunch and at the end of the day you deal with what you can ultimately influence,” Baldwin said.
Parents are asked not to send their children to school if they feel sick.
“We have had great cooperation from the parents in our measures to keep COVID - 19 out of the schools. If children feel or are sick we ask that they stay home and call 811 and let the health department take it from there.”
A special room has been set up in all schools to isolate any children who do become sick during the day until their parents come to pick them up.
Cleaning at the school is not a factor in the Prince Arthur School case, he said, adding all schools are cleaned daily with high touch areas sanitized on a daily basis.
“The cleaning piece isn’t really a factor here,” Baldwin said.
If it had been declared an outbreak then the entire room they had been in would be thoroughly sanitized.
Although Baldwin would not say, due to privacy rules, who contracted COVID - 19 (a student or staff) he did say they followed the procedures if a person was ill and designed to prevent any spread in PSSD schools and facilities.
“If they felt sick we ask that they call 811 to set up an appointment to have a test. They have to wait five days until the the test results come back and then if they are negative they can return to school.”
This is what happened in the case found at Prince Arthur School. The individual felt sick, called 811, arranged to be tested and then stayed home for five days awaiting the testing results.
The individual who ultimately was found to be sick was not in the school during those five days waiting for results so there is now worries about people contracting it at Prince Arthur School at that time, Baldwin said.
The superintendent had nothing but praise for Moose Jaw public health officials.
“I have never met any of them until a month and half ago. The medical health people have been exceptional people,” he said. “We are busy because of COVID - 19 procedures but they are ten times more busier than us…they have made themselves available to us weekends, evenings and in the middle of the night.”
Public health’s hard work paid of in the Prince Athur case.
“Yesterday was completely flawless working with the people in public health. If the whole province is working like Moose Jaw is working we are in good hands.”