Seven Calgary schools face COVID-19 outbreaks

Virus cases are soaring, but no plans announced for additional supports, rules

As schools across Alberta continue to struggle with outbreaks and soaring cases of COVID-19, no changes have been announced around increased support for identifying cases and contact tracing.

Premier Jason Kenney announced a cabinet shuffle Tuesday, including the appointment of new Health Minister Jason Copping. Education Minister Adriana Lagrange will stay in her post, with no added supports or restrictions announced for schools.

As many as seven Calgary schools are now being investigated for COVID outbreaks and, according to a letter sent to the province by the Calgary Board of Education last week, at least 350 self-reported COVID cases are now linked to more than 120 CBE schools.

Two central Alberta schools have also closed due to outbreaks, forcing all students at Big Valley and Donalda schools east of Red Deer to learn online from home.

Expressing “grave concerns” about the UCP government's response to the pandemic, officials with the CBE are demanding increased resources as families grow increasingly frustrated around a lack of information and supports.

“We prepared plans for this school year with measures that exceeded the government's public health measures for schools,” said board chair Marilyn Dennis.

“Despite this, we have experienced increasing positive cases since students returned to school in mid-august.

“We are frustrated by the lack of coherent provincial guidance being provided to our families and students.”

Dennis went on to express frustrations around how the provincial government has downloaded public health decisions onto individual school boards, forcing them to dedicate resources to managing what is now a provincewide public health crisis.

The Calgary Catholic School District is not publicly releasing which of its schools have outbreak notifications or how many self-reported cases are in schools, but they too have sent a letter to the province demanding safer schools.

“CCSD'S board of trustees have communicated to the minister of education, as well as the minister of health, their urgent request for the restoration of funded contact tracing, rapid testing kits and other measures in an effort to further protect our students and staff,” said Felicia Zuniga, CCSD spokeswoman.

Chief medical officer of health Dr. Deena Hinshaw announced this summer that Alberta Health Services will no longer be helping schools to identify positive cases, do the work of contact tracing in schools or ensure those who are exposed to a case stay home to self-isolate.

Schools are now depending on families to self-report cases in their children if they choose, and new guidance for students in those classrooms allows them to continue attending school even if they have been exposed.

The CBE is demanding contact tracing be reinstated, and families are provided with rapid test kits through AHS.

The province has not responded to the school districts, adding rapid tests may be provided in schools later but districts can access rapid tests themselves now if they wish.

“School boards that are interested in running their own program can request test kits from Alberta Health,” said Nicole Sparrow, spokeswoman for Lagrange.

“Any school authorities interested in setting up a rapid testing program in a school can contact Alberta Education staff, who are available to answer questions and offer operational guidance.”

Tuesday evening, Hinshaw confirmed 1,519 new COVID cases in Alberta with 996 people in hospital and 222 in ICU, and warned that as cases rise, children are in fact at increased risk.

“We have not seen to date a different experience with respect to kids and severe outcomes than we've seen in previous waves,” Hinshaw said.

“However, if we have more cases ... we will see an increase in the number of kids needing hospital care.”