Edmonton Public Calls On Alberta Government To Reestablish Contact Tracing As Schools Deal With COVID-19 Cases

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Edmonton Public Schools (EPS) is urging the Alberta government to restore contact tracing and mandatory quarantine amid a surge in COVID-19 cases in classrooms just weeks after the start of the school year.

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In a letter sent to Education Minister Adriana LaGrange and then-Health Minister Tyler Shandro on Sept. 16 and released Tuesday, Board Chair Trisha Estabrooks said that since Alberta is still in a pandemic and children under the age of 12 cannot be vaccinated, the board of trustees agrees that these safety measures are critical and must be reinstated.

“We need the government to act now. We implore you to demonstrate responsible leadership by immediately reinstating contact tracing, close contact notification and mandatory quarantine for close contacts at schools, ”wrote Estabrooks.

Nicole Sparrow, press secretary to Education Minister Adriana LaGrange, said in an emailed statement to Postmedia that the safety of students, parents, teachers and staff remains their top priority and that they will continue to follow the advice of the medical director. health, Dr. Deena. Hinshaw and will make the necessary changes.

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During the province’s COVID-19 update, Hinshaw said they know that children under the age of 12 cannot access the protection that vaccines offer, but says they are doing everything they can to help those turning 12 or older. more this year so they can access a COVID-19 vaccine.

Rachel Notley, leader of the NDP, said her party has called for these measures to be brought back to schools, adding that it should be one of the first decisions made by the new health minister.

“That is something that should be redone exactly as requested by the school boards and if this health minister wants to suggest that he really has fresh eyes, I would suggest that he should make that his first decision (Wednesday),” he added. Notley told the media after Kenney’s COVID-19 press conference.

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“We need to restore testing, contact tracing, notification and close contact quarantine in those settings,” Notley said. “In addition, we should accelerate the vaccination programs in each and every school in the province because, of course, there are many schools that have children eligible for the vaccine that are well below the vaccination rate among other age groups. . So there is a lot that can be done and they are not doing it. “

Sparrow said additional measures, such as localized rapid tests in schools, could be considered if the need arises. He said school boards can also request test kits from Alberta Health if they are interested in running their own testing program.

“We remain in contact with AHS area medical health officers, as well as AHS environmental public health teams, who continue to work with school divisions, such as Edmonton Public, to address any local issues,” Sparrow said.

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Sparrow added that AHS is offering vaccines in schools across the province and students in grades 7-12 can receive the vaccine for which they are eligible at school.

In July, Alberta ended contact tracing and mandatory isolation for close contacts of positive cases, except in high-risk settings.

Masks were not required in classrooms until last Wednesday, when the government changed tactics.

Estabrooks writes in their letter that EPS is notifying families when there is a confirmed case of COVID-19 in their classroom or school because they believe they have a responsibility to be transparent and share information with those in their schools. He said they are asking families to self-report when there is a positive case, but they know that they are losing many positive cases within their division.

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By noon on Sept. 16, with just 10 school days, EPS had reported 239 COVID-19 cases, Estabrooks writes. However, there is no update on how many cases have been reported to date.

“The number of cases in the community shows no signs of decreasing and our hospitals are paralyzed by the influx of cases,” the letter reads. “As cases increase, we also increase absences because parents choose to keep their children at home and more calls from parents wanting to take their children to online learning and / or have quarantine orders. We expect the measures announced on September 15 to shift the curve, but we know it will take time. Our schools need solutions right away. “

Postmedia contacted Alberta Health for a response to the letter, but received no response as of press time.

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