Central Edmonton elementary school moves to online learning
Westglen School is the first school in Edmonton to shift to online learning during the 2021-22 school year.
Starting Friday, all in-person learners will move back online. According to the Edmonton Public School Board, 29 individuals at the school have self-reported testing positive for COVID-19.
Currently, Alberta Health Services does not share information about positive COVID cases with schools. Schools are advised to contact AHS if they notice a cluster or respiratory illness in students or staff, or hit a 10 per cent threshold of students staying home sick. Additional measures may be implemented at individual schools, although the details of those measures vary depending on the school and situation, according to Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Deena Hinshaw.
“And in some ways that is adding an additional layer of protection because if individuals choose not to get tested for COVID but are home with an illness, they’re now counted in the list as being part of that outbreak,” Dr. Hinshaw said. “So it’s less dependent on needing a test to be a part of identifying where there is an issue.”
She says a framework for dealing with and publicly reporting school outbreaks is still being worked on, as the framework currently in place was designed before the height of the fourth wave. As of now, there are no plans to re-implement contact tracing through AHS in Alberta schools.
“That disclosure of individually identifying health information – as would happen if individual case notifications would happen in schools – would be a violation of an individual’s privacy and rights under the Health Information Act,” Dr. Hinshaw said.
“We are working with education to determine if there are any adjustments that need to be made to this framework.”
Students at Westglen are set to return to in-person learning on Oct. 8.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
World seeing near breakdown of international law amid wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Amnesty says
The world is seeing a near breakdown of international law amid flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiplying armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism and huge rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar, Amnesty International warned Wednesday as it published its annual report.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
U.S. Senate passes bill forcing TikTok's parent company to sell or face ban, sends to Biden for signature
The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that's expected to face legal challenges.
Wildfire southwest of Peace River spurs evacuation order
People living near a wildfire burning about 15 kilometres southwest of Peace River are being told to evacuate their homes.
U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan with big bipartisan vote
The U.S. Senate has passed US$95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden after months of delays and contentious debate over how involved the United States should be in foreign wars.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.