The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit is celebrating a milestone in the battle against COVID-19.
Medical officer of health Dr. Charles Gardner announced today that only four new cases of the virus have been reported in the past week, which is the lowest since March.
There has been only one new case in 24 hours; a Barrie man between 18 and 34 years old, whose transmission is a result of close contact with another known case.
As for a recent case reported at Deerhurst Resort and Three Guys and A Stove in Muskoka, Dr. Gardner says it has been 14 days since the concern was raised and all follow-ups have come back negative, so that’s a great outcome.
The health unit is also informing parents that it will be working with the school board to make sure students are safe when they head back to class.
“The safe return to school is at the forefront of everyone’s minds right now and we know that it has been difficult to make decisions about whether to send your child or children to school or have them do on-line learning,” said Dr. Charles Gardner, SMDHU’s medical officer of health. “Everyone’s situation is different, and the decision to send your children to school in person needs to be one that works for you and your family.”
Returning to school is very important for children and youth. It’s good for their education and well-being, and for the whole family. However, as more spaces open for people to gather (like schools), there will be the potential for more cases of COVID-19. Unfortunately in living with this risk we cannot prevent all cases, but we can take action to help prevent outbreaks and to reduce the numbers of cases.
The health unit is working closely with school boards to prevent COVID-19 transmission as much as possible, to identify and manage cases of COVID-19 and to prevent its further spread in schools. Keeping community transmission low is key to keeping schools safer, and COVID-19 rates locally are very low currently, making attending school in Simcoe Muskoka a safe choice for most children and families at this time.
In addition, schools will have many measures in place to reduce the risk of COVID-19 being introduced into the school setting, and to lessen the risk of spread if COVID-19 is introduced, such as:
- requiring you to screen your child for symptoms each day
- prompt isolation of sick children and staff
- physical distancing to the extent possible
- enhanced cleaning measures
- cohorting (keeping groups together) to the extent possible
- use of face coverings is required for students in Grades 4 to 12 , and encouraged for students in Kindergarten to Grade 3.
For more details, please click here.
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You have been making decisions about the safest way for your child to return to school. We know that may have been overwhelming and you might still have concerns and questions. You are not alone. Please see our new Return to School section for information. https://t.co/wrqzB04jyk pic.twitter.com/YYMaVClgBd
— SMDHU (@SMDhealthunit) August 18, 2020