Given the amount of attention it has received in the news media, we understand that parents may have concerns about what the WECDSB is doing to prevent the spread of Coronavirus (COVID 19) in our schools.
It is important to emphasize that there are currently no reported cases of the virus in Windsor-Essex, and the risk for our students remains very low.
However, there are a number of practical things we can all do to prevent the spread of this virus. The same general practices that we encourage to prevent the spread of such viruses as the flu and the common cold can help prevent the spread of Coronavirus. So we are encouraging our students, staff and visitors to our schools to follow some of these best practices:
Washing Your Hands
Washing hands with plain soap and water in schools and childcare settings is effective at removing microbes. In instances where hand washing sinks are not available, supervised use of alcohol based hand sanitizers (ABHS) containing at least 60% alcohol is recommended.
Respiratory Etiquette
Respiratory etiquette in school/childcare settings includes covering the mouth and nose during coughing or sneezing with a tissue or a flexed elbow, and disposing of used tissues in a waste container.
Staying home if you're sick
It is generally good practice for students and staff to stay home if they are sick. Given the nature of Coronavirus, this should be emphasized for anyone experiencing symptoms of respiratory illness. Parents/guardians will be the ones to make decisions about keeping their children home if they are sick and as such, open and frequent communication to parents will be important in ensuring sick children are not sent to school.
Don't share your food or water
We generally encourage students not to share their food or water bottles, which reduces potential exposure to allergens, but also reduces virus transmission between children. Water bottles used by sports teams should not be shared among players. Mouthpieces on musical instruments, especially on those used by more than one student, should be cleaned and disinfected as per standard practices recommended for the instrument. When feasible, students should have their own mouthpieces.
Be careful if travelling
If you are planning on travelling, you should check the federal government’s travel advisory page to determine whether your destination may be affected.
https://travel.gc.ca/travelling/advisories
Anyone who has recently travelled to a location that has been deemed of high risk by the World Health organization should contact the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit and/or their immediate health care provider upon their return.
Click here for a letter to parents regarding March Break travel.
Additional Resources
If you’d like any more information, you can obtain it from the following resources:
The Government of Canada
https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/2019-novel-coronavirus-infection.html
The Government of Ontario (updated twice daily)
https://www.ontario.ca/page/2019-novel-coronavirus
The World Health Organization
https://www.who.int/westernpacific/emergencies/covid-19
The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit
https://www.wechu.org/z-health-topics/novel-coronavirus-2019