Local school boards are taking additional safety measures for staff and students as schools get set to reopen in September.
Students from Kindergarten to Grade 12 in both the Upper Grand District School Board and the Wellington Catholic District School Board are required to wear masks in class, in hallways and on school vehicles. Masks are not mandatory outdoors.
This goes beyond the province’s mandate that requires students from Grade 1 to Grade 12 to wear masks indoors.
The UGDSB is also going beyond provincial ventilation requirements — of placing standalone High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filtration units in all classrooms and learning spaces without mechanical ventilation — by placing HEPA filtration units in classrooms that run the UGDSB’s life skills classes for developmentally delayed students.
The board also intends to conduct carbon dioxide testing in classes while they are occupied. UGDSB began testing carbon dioxide levels in classrooms last year to ensure filtration equipment is working properly.
UGSDB plans to publish detailed information about ventilation and air quality on the board website by Sept. 3.
Early August the province released a back to school plan for students this fall that states elementary and secondary students across Ontario will be returning to in-person school five days a week and have the option to learn remotely.
UGDSB and WCDSB are implementing safety measures such as screening, hand hygiene and physical distancing as required by the province.
In a letter sent to parents in July, chief medical officer of health Dr. Nicola Mercer explained that fully vaccinated students in both school boards will not be required to isolate themselves if they’re exposed to a confirmed case of COVID-19 and can continue attending class. She added that the students will need to monitor for symptoms and isolate if symptoms emerge.
Detailed safety guides for both school boards are available on the UGDSB and WCDSB website.