BC to update COVID-19 health and safety guidelines in schools

Feb 3 2021, 7:31 pm

An update on British Columbia’s health and safety guidelines in schools is scheduled to take place on Thursday morning.

The Ministry of Education says that the update will include “enhanced health and safety guidelines for K-12 students and staff,” as well as additional funding to “support the continued safe operations of schools” throughout BC.

Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry, Minister of Education Jennifer Whiteside, and BC School Trustees Association Stephanie Higginson will be present to give the announcement.

The BC Teachers’ Federation (BCTF), the union that represents 45,000 public school teachers in the province, has been advocating for increased health and safety measures in schools for months.

Earlier this month, they called on the Fraser Health authority, arguing that the current protocols are “inadequate, inconsistent, and unsafe.

The union has called for better measures inside the classroom, such as reducing capacity to improve physical distancing and making masks mandatory in all indoor spaces, rather than just shared common areas.

Recently, a COVID-19 exposure was declared at Garibaldi Secondary School in Maple Ridge. An individual tested positive for coronavirus after coming in close contact with someone who was diagnosed with a variant of the virus.

The update is scheduled to begin at 10 am and can be streamed online.

Vincent PlanaVincent Plana

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