What if cases are identified at GCA?
As we close out this full first full week of classes, we want to thank students and parents for all the effort you are putting into the transition back into school this fall under unusual circumstances.
We are inundated with news every day about testing and cases in Alberta. We thought it may be helpful to recap a few useful pieces of information for parents.
This information is based on guidelines provided by Alberta Health Services. The full document can be found here.
Suspected Case - If a student or staff member is symptomatic, they will be isolated and sent home to do the self-assessment and likely have a COVID test done. GCA will not share information on potential cases unless a positive result comes back.
Alert (1 case) - If one case is confirmed within the school community, it is called an alert. Alberta Health will launch an investigation and be in direct contact with close contacts of the diagnosed individual. GCA will advise parents by e-mail of the situation as soon as possible. In-person learning will continue unless GCA is directed otherwise by Alberta Health.
Outbreak (2 cases or more) - If two or more cases are confirmed within the school community within a 14-day period, an outbreak will be declared. GCA will advise parents by e-mail of the situation as soon as possible. Alberta Health will launch an investigation and be in direct contact with close contacts of the diagnosed individual(s). In-person learning will continue unless GCA is directed otherwise by Alberta Health.
Outbreak Over - A school outbreak is declared over when there have been no new confirmed cases in a school for 28 days. GCA will (happily) advise parents by e-mail as soon as an outbreak is declared over.
What if my child has symptoms?
We have received many questions about what parents should do if their child has any symptoms of COVID, and have talked with our Zone Medical Officer of Health for clarification. Here’s what she confirms:
If you have a child with any symptoms of COVID-19, your child takes a COVID-19 test, and the results come back negative, the child can return to school when the symptoms resolve. If your child is still symptomatic, they must stay home until they are symptom-free. If you are unsure, we encourage you to speak to a nurse via HealthLink (811) before returning. We will continue to support your students’ learning needs while they are at home.
