There are now four COVID-19 cases in schools across Simcoe County, and some changes are being made to school protocols to keep kids safer.
On Monday, the Simcoe County District School Board confirmed a case of COVID-19 at Bear Creek Secondary School in south-end Barrie, adding to one case in a teacher at Twin Lakes Secondary School in Orillia announced on Sept. 15. A case was also confirmed at Father F.X. O’Reilly Catholic School in Tottenham on Sept. 20 by the Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board, adding to a case at St. John Vianney Catholic School in Barrie, announced on Sept. 18.
“We knew, as a board, we would be having cases. We weren’t planning to go through the school year without cases,” said Pauline Stevenson, spokesperson for the Catholic board. “I think it’s reassuring, in a way, that the protocols were followed in both schools well. The health unit has indicated that because of that, the risk and possibility of exposure is limited.
“The St. John Vianney case, we were notified by the individual. (With the Father F.X. O’Reilly case), we were notified by the health unit,” Stevenson added. “The process was a little bit cleaner this time. We were able to mobilize a lot quicker.”
Stevenson says all contact tracing is being done by the health unit.
“Anybody impacted has already been contacted by the health unit,” she said, adding the Innisfil Street school is still open.
At Bear Creek, school board officials have indicated anyone deemed to have been in close contact with the infected individual has been informed. Close contacts through the school have been advised to self-quarantine for 14 days and seek a COVID-19 test.
Other questions regarding the Bear Creek case were referred by the public school board to the health unit. The health unit did not return a request for an interview by publication time.
On Sunday, Sept. 20, the Catholic board sent a letter to parents and guardians of students in attendance at their secondary schools to inform them that students would no longer be allowed to leave the school for their lunch periods.
“With student safety as our top priority, we have made the decision that all students must remain in their classroom during lunch beginning Sept. 22,” wrote interim director of education Catherine McCullough. “This health and safety measure will help keep students in their cohort for the duration of the day, and therefore limit unnecessary contact with other students.”
The letter goes on to say secondary schools will not be accepting notes from parents/guardians to allow their child out of the building for lunch, and that any student that leaves the building during the lunch period will not be permitted to return for the remainder of the day.
Stevenson says the board is hoping the new protocol will help the health unit in contact tracing should a case make its way into the secondary student population.
“The issue is, if high school students are going out for lunch, some of them were doing what they’re supposed to do in terms of wearing their mask and maintaining their physical distance, but we know there are a lot that weren’t. It becomes really difficult for the health unit to be able to do their job if the exposure is heightened by students having multiple contacts during their lunch hour,” said Stevenson.
“All of this is a balancing act where we have to figure out what’s best for kids from a mental health and well-being standpoint and balance that with health and safety,” she added.
When reached for comment on Monday on the issue, Dawn Stephens, superintendent of education with the SCDSB, said the public board would not be making changes to their secondary student lunch protocol at this time.
“We have heard concerns from parents on both sides: parents who want their child to be remaining inside of the school all day long, and those who don’t. We’ve heard from both,” said Stephens.
Stephens said the board and schools are working on educating students before they’ll install a policy change.
“As of now, we are not changing paths. We are continuing to work with our students and parents on educating students about what is appropriate behaviour for them out in the community outside of the school day and on lunch hour, and practising the public health measures that are in place,” said Stephens.
“We are not pulling back at this time," she added. "We want to see if our students can make these necessary adjustments that need to be made in order to keep this practice in place.”
Simcoe County school cases (as of Sept. 21)
- Sept. 15 – Twin Lakes Secondary School, Orillia (teacher)
- Sept. 18 – St. John Vianney Catholic School, Barrie (individual)
- Sept. 20 – Father F.X. O’Reilly Catholic School, Tottenham (individual)
- Sept. 21 – Bear Creek Secondary School, Barrie (individual)
