Based on information from the Chief Medical Officer of Health and Ministry of Health, we are aware of the prevalence of COVID-19 in our communities.
According to the COVID-19 Integrated Testing & Case, Contact and Outbreak Management Interim Guidance: Omicron Surge, it is noted that the number of Omicron cases in the current wave of COVID-19 in Ontario is such that individuals with symptoms indicative of COVID-19 can be presumed to be infected with COVID-19 and should initiate timely self-isolation to prevent transmission in the community.
Under the new COVID-19 Interim Guidance for Schools and Child Care, it has been the directive of the Ministry that public health will no longer be conducting contact tracing or dismissing class cohorts as they had in the past. However, in credit to the COVID-19 health and safety preventative strategies in schools, students and staff in a school setting are generally no longer considered high-risk contacts. Students and staff who do not have symptoms, have not been advised to isolate, and those who pass the COVID-19 School and Child Care Screening may continue to go to school. Monitoring for symptoms, staying home when unwell and following guidance of the COVID-19 screening tool are important steps you can take to limit potential exposure to others. The COVID-19 Screening Tool can be found here: https://covid-19.ontario.ca/school-screening/ Further, if you are concerned about having been exposed to COVID-19 please see the following guidance: https://covid-19.ontario.ca/exposed
As mentioned, given the widespread transmission in our communities and the inability to test and confirm cases with all symptomatic individuals public health will not be informing schools of potential cases or providing notification if there is a confirmed or suspected case of COVID-19 within a class cohort. School principals, secretaries, and staff are not responsible for collecting personal medical information, confirming positive cases, conducting contact tracing or determining the self-isolation period for individuals or the potential period of transmission.
The Wellington Catholic District School Board continues to monitor and report daily student and staff absences with the provincial absence reporting tool and provide the necessary information to our local public health unit. Parents and staff can monitor daily student and staff absence rates using the Province’s COVID-19: School Closures and Absenteeism website: https://www.ontario.ca/page/covid-19-school-closures-and-absenteeism
Information is posted daily at 10:30 a.m. and includes the combined percentage of students and staff who are reported as absent. School boards report all absences, including absences that may not be related to COVID-19.