Measures in Canada

Drive-through COVID-19 test centre in Ottawa, March 12, 2020. (G. Rose)

Federal Government

At this time, the Public Health Agency of Canada has assessed the public health risk associated with COVID-19 as low for the general population in Canada but says this could change rapidly. There is an increased risk of more severe outcomes for Canadians:

- aged 65 and over
- with compromised immune systems
- with underlying medical conditions

Nationally, as of March 14, there were 252 confirmed cases and one presumptive case, with 11 of the confirmed cases reported as recovered.

Regarding border measures, the federal government says: "Travellers arriving at all major Canadian airports receive information and, if coming from high-risk areas, are screened to determine steps needed to protect their health and that of others. Similar information is available at Canada's land border crossings. All travellers are advised to monitor themselves for symptoms and to contact the local public health authority in their province or territory if they feel sick."

Regarding preventative measures, the federal government has advised avoiding all non-essential travel outside of Canada and all cruise ship travel. It calls on those who have "travelled to Hubei province, China, Iran or Italy in the last 14 days" to "limit your contact with others for 14 days, starting the day you began your journey to Canada. This means self-isolate and stay at home. Contact the public health authority in your province or territory within 24 hours of arriving in Canada for advice." On March 13 the government stepped up its advisory to say that everyone arriving in Canada from another country should self-isolate and monitor themselves for symptoms for 14 days. In a March 15  interview with CTV the Prime Minister said stricter border and international travel measures were still being considered.

For more information on the coronavirus and how to limit its spread, the federal government has created this website, canada.ca/coronavirus, with resources that can be downloaded. It has also set up an information line (1-833-784-4397), which is available from 7:00 am to midnight (EDT) seven days a week.

The Government of Canada says it has committed $1.1 billion in public health measures in response to the coronavirus outbreak. These measures include:

- Repatriation of Canadians: $7 million,
- Initial support to the World Health Organization: $2 million,
- Sustained communications and public education: $50 million,
- Investing in research: $275 million,
- Support for provinces and territories: $500 million,
- Personal protective equipment: $50 million,
- International assistance: $50 million,
- Employment Insurance Sickness Benefits: $5 million,
- Work Sharing Program: $12 million, and
- Additional public health response, including funding for Indigenous Services Canada: $100 million.

Measures to Combat COVID-19 in Education

One of the features of this novel coronavirus is that it can spread undetected amongst young people, meaning that young people can often be carriers of the virus, whether they are infected or not. Thus how to preventing the spread of coronavirus in the education system is an important matter.

Public Health Canada issued guidelines to schools and daycare facilities for responding to COVID19. Their guidelines for schools indicate:

"Public health measures implemented in schools and daycare settings are intended to provide a safer school environment by encouraging personal protective measures, communication to teachers and parents, and environmental cleaning. Public Health Guidance for Schools (K-12) and Childcare Programs (COVID-19) is available. Given the current epidemiology of the virus, it is unknown what role children play in community transmission of COVID-19, therefore the impact of school mitigation measures on community transmission of COVID-19 is uncertain, though strategies such as more frequent hand washing, respiratory etiquette and separation of ill students from healthy students is always prudent.

"School/daycare measures can vary in scope from very simple measures (e.g. increasing distancing between desks) through to more extensive measures, such as closures. Widespread school closures as a control measure have the potential of coming at a high economic and social cost since school closures would impact the many families that have one or both parents working outside of the home. School closures can reduce virus transmission, but the timing and duration of the closure is critical (before the peak of the epidemic), and later closures could be ineffective and be socially disruptive. Consideration also needs to be given to the likeliness that students will congregate elsewhere in less controlled environments, thus reducing the intended benefits of school closures and potentially shifting the transmission of the virus to other community settings."

Another aspect raised by Health Canada is the importance of the role of public schools as places to disseminate information to the youth and their families quickly and as a source of food for students such as breakfast or lunch programs, which they may otherwise not get at home, and the need to maintain these supports in any event.

They define a number of types of measures to prevent the spread of the virus, which include:

They provide specific details when considering these measures.[1]

Of note is that school mitigation emphasizes social distancing which in this case means finding ways to reduce the proximity of students to one another. This means changing school schedules to mitigate proximity in public transit getting to school such as staggering school starts, increasing desk distances between students and dividing classes into smaller groups. Thus it requires reduction of class sizes in most cases and keeping students from congregating. It is important to note in this respect that smaller class sizes are in fact related to preventing the spread of infectuous diseases in schools and should also be considered a general preventive measure at all times.

Another important matter is the recommendation that school closures must be considered against the general disruption on the lives of families who may then be adversely affected in being unable to work and also that while home students may also then congregate in other areas defeating the purpose of the closure. In terms of interrupting transmission of the virus proactive closures should be more than 2 weeks and should be carried out before a peak in the epidemic.

Post-Secondary

Across Canada, universities and colleges are moving towards online delivery of classes which were previously live, especially in the case where classes are more than 250 students to avoid spreading the virus. A number of institutions are taking a period of days to transition courses online and will re-start following this.

K-12 Education

British Columbia

On March 12, the BC government announced that anyone who chooses to travel outside of Canada will be asked to voluntarily stay away from work or school for 14 days upon their return. They announced that over spring break (March 16-27) the BC government will also work with school districts to develop procedures to be implemented with students and staff when classes resume. They indicate that some post-secondary institutions have classes with more than 250 students, and they are working with them to take measures to address this situation.

BC Teachers' Federation (BCTF) President Teri Mooring issued a statement on March 14 which stated: "This is a particularly scary time for those who are health compromised or have loved ones who are. This is a time to show we care. We can find safe ways to do just that. Especially understanding that everyone reacts to stress and anxiety differently.

"Upon returning from Spring Break we will need to be prepared to face some challenges. It's difficult to precisely define them all at this point, due to fast moving events.

"Please know a lot of planning and work is happening now. The BCTF is working with government to ensure the return from the break is as smooth and safe as possible. We will continue to provide information and updates during the next couple of weeks."

Alberta

On March 13, the Alberta government recommended that schools remain open at this time. However it recommended that schools eliminate large gatherings of students such as assemblies and consider cancelling extracurricular activities that involve physical contact. The government of Alberta has also stated "effective March 12, all travellers returning from outside Canada must self-isolate for 14 days and monitor for symptoms." Spring break in Alberta is from March 20 to March 27.

On March 14, Alberta Teachers' Association President Jason Schilling issued a statement that approves of the decision to keep schools open, but raising concerns about the lack of funding for cleaning staff, who are necessary now more than ever.

"If schools are going to remain open, then they must be safe and healthy places for everyone in or in transit to them -- I am very concerned that very many schools do not have sufficient funding to hire light-duty custodians to undertake the ongoing daytime cleaning needed to meet the standards that must be in place to protect the health of students, staff, teachers and visitors in our schools," said Schilling. "The government may need to assist school boards to ensure they can hire staff and provide them with the cleaning supplies they need to meet the standards for sanitation set out by the Chief Medical Officer of Health."

The Alberta government announced it will be making changes to the Employment Standards Code to "allow employees who are required to self-isolate or are caring for a loved one with COVID-19 to take 14 days of paid job-protected leave to cover the self-isolation period being recommended by Alberta's chief medical officer of health."

"There will be no requirement to have a medical note for such leave or to have worked for an employer for 90 days to qualify for such leave."

In addition to the measures requested by Alberta Health, different school boards are taking various other measures. In Calgary public schools, parent-teacher interviews were cancelled along with other events open to parents and community members. Public rentals of facilities, such as gyms, have been cancelled, as well as events where student populations from different schools have contact with each other.

Saskatchewan

According to the CBC, "The Saskatoon Public School Division, the province's largest, has taken steps including cancelling all large gatherings, field trips, guest speakers, external presentations and tours."

The division has also cancelled all professional development, large gatherings, meetings for staff and upcoming open houses for unique programs. All cultural activities and events, like pipe ceremonies, feasts and round dances, have also been cancelled. Saskatchewan's spring break is April 10-17.

Manitoba

A letter to school board superintendents from the Minister of Education encouraged schools to
"continue to take measures to help prevent the spread of viruses. Best practices for the prevention of viral illness include regular and thorough handwashing with warm water and soap, coughing and sneezing into an arm or tissue, encouraging people to stay home from school or work when they are sick, and ensuring that surfaces and objects are wiped with disinfectant regularly." Manitoba's spring break is March 30 to April 3.

Ontario

On March 12, the Ontario government issued a Ministerial Order to close all publicly funded K-12 schools for two weeks after the spring break which began on March 14. The closure also affects school-based child care programs housed in publicly funded schools, which will also close if the school board so decides. The government cited a recommendation from Ontario's Chief Medical Officer of Health in making the decision. In an earlier press conference Dr. David Williams, the Chief Medical Officer of Health had recommended that parents travelling with children during spring break should stay away from school upon return. Schools are scheduled to re-open April 5. It is of note that neither school boards nor education unions were part of the decision-making process to close the schools and were thrown into chaos on the Friday before the March break to deal with the many questions and concerns of teachers and support staff as to whether they would be on forced layoff and receive pay. The Minister indicated that this would be left up to school boards to decide and implement.

The closure of schools comes right in the midst of negotiations between the Ontario government and teachers' and education workers' unions. On March 12 prior to the government's announcement, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario suspended rotating strike action that was scheduled to begin on March 23. Both the Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation (OSSTF) and the Ontario English Catholic Teachers' Association (OECTA) announced that they would be postponing their annual meetings in response to the pandemic. OSSTF President Harvey Bischof issued a statement indicating "OSSTF will welcome any opportunity to work with the Ministry of Education and Ontario's school boards to ensure that our schools are safe places for our students, and for the educators who work with them.

"To that end, we are writing to the Minister of Education, the Ontario Public School Boards' Association, and the Council of Trustees' Associations to offer our cooperation and support in any efforts that will help to combat the spread of the COVID-19 virus."

At the same time that the government announced the closure of schools, it also announced that it had a tentative agreement with OECTA.

Quebec

On March 13 the government of Quebec announced that all daycares, schools, CEGEPS and universities in the province will be closed for at least two weeks starting March 14. Premier Legault said special daycares will be set up for parents of health professionals and other essential service workers to allow them to continue to offer those services. Spring break in Quebec was March 2-9.

New Brunswick

The government of New Brunswick has announced that all public schools will be closed in New Brunswick for two weeks. The closure will not affect daycares, since they are considered an essential service. The decision was made by a committee of the parties in the legislature, made up of cabinet ministers and the four party leaders.

Nova Scotia

In an interview with the Chronicle Herald the president of the Nova Scotia Teachers' Union Paul Wozney said all provincial public schools should remain closed after the March break.

"I think it's imperative at this point," Paul Wozney said of extended school closures to help mitigate the spread of the COVID-19 virus. It's not a matter of if COVID-19 lands here, it's a matter of when. "We know that limiting social contact is a key factor in mitigating the spread," Wozney said. "We know that schools are a major transmission hub for traditional flu. We have schools in Nova Scotia today that barely have 50 per cent attendance for either staff or students. There is no question that schools are a hot spot for the transmission of communicable disease." "Because we have the highest population of seniors in the country, we cannot afford not to be a leader on COVID-19 prevention," Wozney said. "That's the population that stands to be most dramatically impacted by COVID-19. We also have one of the weakest and least healthy emergency medical systems in the country. Especially in rural Nova Scotia, we have emergency room closures in record numbers.

"This is not about students, it's not about learning, it's about public health," Wozney said. "It's about the safety of the entire province and it's a chance to mitigate or head off a potential disaster. I've already conveyed to Minister [Zach] Churchill that closing schools for any period, that the teachers of Nova Scotia would be partners when the schools reopened to address concerns around learning. Those are fixable things, those are not impossible problems to resolve. It's more possible to fix catching up on learning than it is to fix a death toll that could have been prevented."

Newfoundland and Labrador

Newfoundland students returned from spring break on March 9. Dr. Robert Strang, the province's Chief Medical Officer of Health, said anyone travelling outside of Canada may have come in contact with COVID-19 and should monitor their health and minimize contact with others for 14 days after returning. The province had cancelled all school-organized trips to international destinations scheduled for March break. The Newfoundland and Labrador English School District and Conseil scolaire francophone have suspended all extracurricular activities involving interaction between different school populations until further notice. This includes regional and provincial sports tournaments, heritage fairs, science fairs, drama festivals, or any activity that sees multiple school populations gathered for showcase events or competition.

Nunavut

In Nunavut, schools have been directed on enhanced cleaning protocols, hygiene and disinfecting measures and implementing non-sharing protocols.

Northwest Territories

The government of the Northwest Territories states that the Department of Education, Culture and Employment has met with education bodies who are prepared to put their contingency plans in place for school closures should the Chief Public Health Officer direct this action. Northwest Territories spring break is from March 15-28, two full weeks.

Yukon

The Yukon spring break is from March 15-28. The Chief Medical Officer of the Yukon, in responding to concerns from many Yukoners who may have attended the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada conference in Toronto, where a confirmed case of COVID-19 was established, stated, "Yukoners who attended the conference may have been exposed to COVID-19. Symptoms of COVID-19 include a cough, fever or shortness of breath. If you don't have these symptoms, then you can go about your regular day-to-day activities. This includes attending work, classes, events and other activities. However, if you develop any of the symptoms listed above, then please stay home and contact Yukon Communicable Disease Control at 1-867-667-8323 to arrange for testing." The government of the Yukon has also taken the decision to cancel the Arctic Winter Games which were to take place in Whitehorse from March 15-21.

Note

1. Measures for Educational Facilities
School mitigation measures are implemented to reduce the unintended consequences of school closures or dismissal. The following strategies can be considered:

- Strict exclusion policies for students exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19,
- Increasing desk distance between students,
- Cancelling or postponing after-school events,
- Restricting access to common areas,
- Staggering the school schedule to limit the numbers of students/children in attendance at one time (e.g. staggered lunch breaks, recesses),
- Reducing mixing students during transport to and from school (separation of children on school buses by 2 metres where possible),
- dividing classes into smaller groups, and
- cancelling classes that bring students together from multiple classrooms.

These measures are intended to serve the purpose of mitigating some of the unintended consequences of school closures (e.g. parents/caregivers who miss work to take care of children can have negative financial implications and students/children who access free school meals could be negatively impacted if those meals are not otherwise available.) Additionally, keeping facilities open will allow teachers to consider delivering lessons and material remotely, maintaining continuity with teaching and learning.

School closure decisions should be made in consultation with local public health authorities and based on a risk assessment. Closure considerations should include:

- The priority goal of minimizing social disruption and child safety
- Epidemiology and transmissibility of the disease
- Contact patterns in the school/childcare program
- Amount of contact between individuals within the environment
- Size of classrooms
- Interaction of students between classes
- The impact of certain programs (e.g., school meal programs) on families who access them.
- Innate protective factors built into schools and childcare settings including:
     - A forum to educate, inform and communicate with students/ children and their families in an efficient and timely manner.
     - A defined structure to support the economic and social elements of the community by allowing parents to continue to work and volunteer.

Reactive school closures are in response to virus activity (i.e. a consequence of disease activity) impacting the safe functioning of the school due to increased staff absenteeism and co-infection potential among students. Considerations should include:

- The number of ill students/children and staff.
- The impact of school absenteeism and/or staff shortages on schools/childcare operations.

Proactive school closures may be considered to interrupt the transmission amongst children and indirectly protect other age groups who may be vulnerable to COVID-19. The decision about the school closure at local/regional/national level will largely depend on the timing and epidemiological situation. Considerations should include:

- The timing of school/daycare closures in relation to the epidemic peak is an important consideration.
- School closures of less than 2 weeks have been shown to have minimal impact on disruption of virus transmission in communities.
- Holiday schedules should also be considered as opportunistic (i.e. early closures).

Source: Health Canada

(With files from canada.ca, Quebec news agencies, CTV, Ontario Ministry of Health.)

This article was published in

Volume 50 Number 8 - March 14, 2020

Article Link:
Measures in Canada

    

Website:  www.cpcml.ca   Email:  editor@cpcml.ca