By Don Urquhart, Times-Chronicle
Local schools are sounding the all-clear as attendance levels are at normal or near-normal historic levels with rapid test kits now available for all staff and soon for all students.
The two elementary schools – Tuc-el-Nuit Elementary in Oliver and Osoyoos Elementary – sent COVID-19 warning letters to parents on Jan. 20 after both schools crossed the attendance threshold triggering an alert that COVID-19 activity might be on the rise in the schools.
This situation has returned to normal with David Foster, Osoyoos Elementary School Principal saying: “we are looking on the downslope or even right back to our historical levels so we’re very happy and hoping this Omicron wave has passed us by. I’m sure we’re not out of the woods yet, but it’s looking very good now.”
From the initial warning letter, the situation improved Foster said leading to the current situation where there is no current need for any alerts to be sent out.
Foster added that the rapid antigen test kits arrived on Monday, Feb. 7 and have been distributed to all staff members. Schools follow the Interior Health strategy that if someone is feeling sick, then they do a rapid test.
Patsy-Anne Takacs, Principal of Tuc-el-Nuit Elementary School similarly said: “our attendance has been good this week, so a COVID alert is not warranted.” She also said the school has received their test kits and these have been distributed to all staff. “Overall, it’s been a good week,” she added.
Meanwhile, at the secondary level Vice-Principal Stacey Smith at the Southern Okanagan Secondary School (SOSS) said attendance rates are on par with last year.
“We’re in good shape. People are doing what they’re supposed to do and our numbers are within a normal range,” Smith said. She too said all school district employees have received two rapid antigen tests each.
At Osoyoos Secondary School (OSS), Principal Scott Tremblay said attendance levels have been steady since the winter break, with no rise in absenteeism. “We did have some staff away, but we were not experiencing any functional issues because of staff absences.”
“We have not sent home any letters of notice,” he said, adding that he expected the rapid tests to arrive on Friday, Jan. 4 when the Times-Chronicle spoke to him.
The province plans to roll out an estimated 300,000 rapid antigen test kits to be delivered in phases for use by students. These test kits for students are in addition to the more than 200,000 kits shipped in mid-January for symptomatic staff, teachers and administrators.
The first phase will be rural and remote school districts for use by students with symptoms of COVID-19. School districts will distribute the five-pack test kits for families of students who reside in rural and remote regions of B.C.
The province says this will ensure that communities further away from regional testing facilities have access to tests.
In the second phase of distribution, tests will be shipped for students aged five to 11 in school districts within the Northern and Interior health authorities.
The Ministry of Health and the BC Centre for Disease Control continue to advise how rapid antigen tests are best used as part of the provincial pandemic response, including if additional tests will be deployed for use in the K-12 sector.
The school districts first to receive test kits for students include Rocky Mountain (SD 6), Kootenay Lake (SD 8), Arrow Lakes (SD 10), Cariboo-Chilcotin (SD 27), Central Coast (SD 49), Haida Gwaii (SD 50), Boundary (SD 51), Nicola-Similkameen (SD 58), Peace River South (SD 59), Gulf Islands (SD 64), Gold Trail (SD 74), Fort Nelson (SD 81), Coast Mountains (SD 82), Vancouver Island West (SD 84), Stikine (SD 87), Nechako Lakes (SD 91) and Nisga’a (SD 92).
