1/Our back-to-school guidance for schools in Ontario is out!
This framework reflects a year’s worth of evidence, lived experience, and tremendous stakeholder engagement.
covid19-sciencetable.ca/sciencebrief/s…
This framework reflects a year’s worth of evidence, lived experience, and tremendous stakeholder engagement.
covid19-sciencetable.ca/sciencebrief/s…
2/Here’s what the brief touches on: 
3/Our group came at this with the shared perspective:
School is the “essential work” of children. Educators + school staff are critical to students’ work.
We have heard from educators, administrators, clinicians and child health advocates how turbulent this year has been.
School is the “essential work” of children. Educators + school staff are critical to students’ work.
We have heard from educators, administrators, clinicians and child health advocates how turbulent this year has been.
4/ When we treat schools as “essential" places, we no longer use school closures as primary measures of pandemic control.
And we afford protective measures to keep schools healthier for students, staff and their families.
And we afford protective measures to keep schools healthier for students, staff and their families.
5/Arguably a familiar visual - the Hierarchy of Hazard Controls, applied to school-based measures
Note:
Paid sick days (and flexibility to work from home) helps to keep infections out of school, so it's included as a key measure
Note:
Paid sick days (and flexibility to work from home) helps to keep infections out of school, so it's included as a key measure
6/Also – no blanket, province-wide strategy for school-based measures.
We are calling for a regional approach by PHUs. This includes rural, remote and Indigenous communities.
We need to consider both disease burden and community transmission rates.
We are calling for a regional approach by PHUs. This includes rural, remote and Indigenous communities.
We need to consider both disease burden and community transmission rates.
7/ What’s not in the brief (and needs its own space):
- educational recovery
- curricular reforms
- MH supports
- access to school-based rehab supports (e.g. PT, OT, SLP) as some kids have fallen behind/regressed in abilities/health status.
These are urgent and important
- educational recovery
- curricular reforms
- MH supports
- access to school-based rehab supports (e.g. PT, OT, SLP) as some kids have fallen behind/regressed in abilities/health status.
These are urgent and important
8/ There are recs for activities (music, sports, clubs) in different risk scenarios. We've heard these are a lifeline for kids and youth.
And a Ventilation road map for school boards - for both long-term changes that they can make, as well as short term temporary solutions
And a Ventilation road map for school boards - for both long-term changes that they can make, as well as short term temporary solutions
9/With schools around the corner, it's so important that we enable a healthy return to school in the Fall.
Let's take stock of how far we've come this past year:
- PH capacity
- VACCINES
- more evidence
= an epi-informed framework with a regional lens
Let's take stock of how far we've come this past year:
- PH capacity
- VACCINES
- more evidence
= an epi-informed framework with a regional lens
10/Diverse experiences+expertise informed this not-so-brief brief (epi, PH, education, peds, ID, vent/air quality)
All of us invested in getting kids back to school and keeping them there.
Schools still reopening in a pandemic - but a low-risk scenario signals an eventuality
All of us invested in getting kids back to school and keeping them there.
Schools still reopening in a pandemic - but a low-risk scenario signals an eventuality
11/With thanks to Michelle, Ari, @dreyalcohen @kgalmac @AmyGreerKalisz @leifsok @janinemccready @ASPphysician @BeateSander @PrachiSrivas @NathanStall @AshTuite @ronald_cohn @DrKaliBarrett + more for rolling up sleeves and poring through the evidence, experience and recs together.
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