FAQ for
the 2022/23 school year
Where
can I go for general information on COVID?
We
recommend following information from established public health organizations
such as:
Will students be learning in-person this year?
Yes, students will be learning in-person beginning in September. Throughout COVID, the situation has been dynamic and while we cannot predict the future, we believe that students learn best when they can engage in real world interactions with others and we will prioritize keeping schools open.
What are the requirements for masks?
Beginning on March 15th 2022, masks are no longer required in schools or on school buses.
Public
health continues to recommend wearing a mask in the following situations:
- For those who are at a higher risk
of severe disease
- For those at higher risk of severe
illness attending a crowded indoor setting or if in a setting where many people
are at higher risk for severe disease (for example, healthcare facilities and
personal care homes continue to require mask use).
- For individuals who are sick or have tested positive for COVID. They should wear a mask for 10 days after symptoms develop when they leave isolation and have contact with others.
- For individuals caring for someone who is sick or has tested positive for COVID.
What does physical distancing in classrooms look like?
As of March 15th, 2022, physical distancing is no longer required in schools.
Will
there be requirements for vaccines?
Public Health is not mandating COVID vaccines for students.
Will there be COVID immunization clinics offered in schools?
Public Health will be offering COVID vaccinations at various health clinics, doctor's offices and pharmacies throughout the Province. For the 2022/23 year, there are currently no plans for COVID vaccinations to be offered in schools.
For more information on immunizations
please see below:
Extra-curricular
Activities?
We know
that extra-curricular activities are incredibly important to the well-being of
our students. They will resume this year as long as they follow the
current public health guidelines.
Can students use water fountains?
Our
intention is to phase out water fountains in our schools and continue to
replace them with touchless water bottle refill stations. This will
provide a long-term layer of safety for our students. Please continue to
send water bottles along with your child.
What is
the ventilation system like in my child’s classroom?
Over the
past number of years, our division has been in the process of upgrading and
modernizing our ventilations systems. This proactive work means that all
of our schools have air handling systems that bring fresh air in and circulate
it throughout the building. Most of our buildings have highly automated
systems that actively monitor air quality and adjust ventilation accordingly.
What do I do if my child is sick with COVID symptoms?
If you child is sick, you may request to pick up rapid antigen tests from the school.
If you test positive
with COVID, we encourage you to report the result to the school and check online
for the most current isolation recommendations from public health.
- People with symptoms should stay home and isolate for
five days after symptoms start, until they have no fever and other symptoms
have improved over the past 24 hours.
- Individuals who have tested positive but do not
develop symptoms should isolate for five days from the date of the tests.
- Individuals should wear a well-fitted, well-made mask
if they must have contact with other people while they are ill, when their
isolation is finished for 10 days after the onset of your symptoms, or test
date if asymptomatic.
There is no differential in recommended isolation based on vaccination status.
https://sharedhealthmb.ca/covid19/screening-tool/
What happens if my child gets sick while at school?
You will be contacted and asked to come and pick your child up.
Does my child need to stay at home if a household member has COVID or if they
are considered a close contact of a COVID case?
As of Feb. 15, 2022 close contacts of a person who tests positive for COVID-19 are no longer required to self-isolate.
https://news.gov.mb.ca/news/index.html?item=53308&posted=2022-02-11
How will cases in schools be tracked?
COVID cases in schools will tracked through a variety of measures including, data from PCR tests, voluntary disclosure of rapid antigen test results and by monitoring overall attendance trends. In the event that there is concerning trends, schools will work with public health to assess the situation and potentially create a community alert. In the event of an alert, rapid antigen tests will be provided to students to take home and utilize prior to attending school. Use of the tests would be recommended but voluntary.
Can my child be considered a close contact due to being close to someone who tests positive at school?
As of the Province's announcement on January 13th, 2022 public health will no longer be doing contact tracing at schools and students cannot be considered close contacts due exposure in that setting.
What do we do if we travelled out of Province or Country?
As of February 15th, 2022, public health removed self-isolation requirements for individuals entering the province. However, anyone travelling from international destinations will continue to be required to meet requirements under the federal Quarantine Act which may require testing and/or isoloation.
https://news.gov.mb.ca/news/index.html?item=53308&posted=2022-02-11
Community
use of schools
Community
use of schools will continue this year. It is the responsibility of
the user to inform themselves and follow current public health guidelines for
the activities that they plan on carrying out.