An elementary school in small-town Saskatchewan is making a last-minute change of plans after a staff member tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
Indian Head Elementary School in Indian Head, Sask. is preparing to move the entire student body’s lessons online from Sept. 10-16, said Prairie Valley School Division in a news release over the weekend.
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While in-class learning was supposed to begin on Sept. 8, staff will be using Sept. 8 and 9 to get ready to teach digitally, said the school division, which expects students to be able to return to the building as of Sept. 17.
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The school division, which was informed of the staff member’s diagnosis by the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA), said in its news release that a number of staff members are considered close contacts and are required to self-isolate for 14 days. The move to online is a result of that reduction to the school’s available in-person staffing complement.
Indian Head Elementary School is impacted exclusively.
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Symptoms can include fever, cough and difficulty breathing — very similar to a cold or flu. Some people can develop a more severe illness. People most at risk of this include older adults and people with severe chronic medical conditions like heart, lung or kidney disease. If you develop symptoms, contact public health authorities.
To prevent the virus from spreading, experts recommend frequent handwashing and coughing into your sleeve. They also recommend minimizing contact with others, staying home as much as possible and maintaining a distance of two metres from other people if you go out. In situations where you can’t keep a safe distance from others, public health officials recommend the use of a non-medical face mask or covering to prevent spreading the respiratory droplets that can carry the virus. In some provinces and municipalities across the country, masks or face coverings are now mandatory in indoor public spaces.
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