Sally Mao/ Edge columnist
Since mid-February, there have been 3,067 contacts in 937 kindergartens to 12th-grade schools, of which 566 cases have multiple contact incidents. Only one person is required to be in school for each exposure, who will soon test positive for COVID-19, according to the B.C. School COVID Tracker database.
Regarding the repeated exposure incidents in the current school, Gleneagle Secondary School started with the first case of school community member tested positive announced on November 2nd. So far, nine cases of people infected with the new coronavirus have been notified that they have tested positive. According to the COVID Notification given to each student by the school, one time in November, one time in December, two times in January, and six positive cases of School Community member tested in February. The gradual increase is very important. Terrible things, if it develops with the current frequency, there may be ten exposures in March. This is not a trivial matter. Both the schools and the students have certain responsibilities.
Since last year’s Quarter 1, Gleneagle School has advocated and required students to have a physical examination and assessment before entering the School every day, such as self-examination for cough, dizziness, breathing problems, etc. However, many students do not evaluate themselves as usual.
Many schools in BC have had multiple COVID-19 incidents. In response to COVID-19 incidents, according to the article of BC COVID-19 safety plans, BC’s education minister says the province is looking to fill “gaps” in safety plans in order to prevent school-based COVID-19 transmission.
On March 2nd, the province of BC stated that “the COVID-19 rapid response teams in the six regions have been put in place to provide support for K-12 schools and districts in BC through safety plans and exposure assessments.”
“Rapid response teams are a critically important addition to the health and safety measures that are keeping schools safe for students and staff,” the minister of Education of British Columbia Jennifer Whiteside said.
“As the pandemic evolves, these teams will help us respond quickly and adapt, where necessary, to ensure best practices are being consistently applied throughout the education sector.”
Teams in six districts of BC will work with schools, districts, and health authorities to review major school exposure incidents, propose suggestions, and help schools improve their safety plans.
This is a good thing, and the measures taken by the BC Minister of Education for this BC K-12 COVID School will hopefully help COVID schools effectively.
BC’s actions and initiatives for local schools during the current COVID-19 are on the right track but will require the cooperation of individual schools and administrators.
Causes of exposure event there will be many, such as in the classroom is not everyone is wearing a mask, wearing a mask but no cover the nose, do not wash their hands before entering into the classroom, after touching other people’s things, hands are not disinfected, these behaviours can cause infection with the new coronavirus, general of the important measures to prevent new coronary artery pneumonia is wearing a mask, then out less often, regular disinfection, should not be taken lightly and keep a distance of more than two meters.
People infected with the virus usually expel the virus by sneezing and coughing.
Close contact with such people can lead to infection by inhaling droplets of the virus through the mouth and nose.
And the first sign of COVID-19 is an elevated body temperature, with a fever that lasts longer than 38.5 degrees, or a low fever that lasts between 37.3 and 38.5 degrees.
As for the safety strategy, China has done a very good job in the prevention of COVID-19. During the COVID-19 period, people voluntarily wear masks. Almost everyone will have their whole body disinfected and their belongings disinfected after returning home. In order to avoid cross-contamination during the epidemic, Chinese students took online classes at home for about a semester. They took responsibility for the health and safety of the country and themselves, which is worthy of learning and praise.
For daily with BC COVID – 19 schools can take turns to check each classroom with a corridor of the security situation; students must wear masks in the classroom when each student eat in the classroom should cover with transparent partition everyone around the edge of the table to prevent saliva to sputter, reduce the spread of a qualitative and mouth breathing and contact; each classroom after school, cleaning personnel should be used in a similar ninety-nine percent of disinfection spray gun products carefully and earnestly for each every corner of the classroom disinfected, which ensures that even when a virus it, after thoroughly disinfected after high intensity, it killed the virus.
BC education bureau can also be based on the exposed case processing of COVID – 19 schools for those Schools haven’t exposure incidents schools offer hidden danger tips and help, after has the education bureau safety teams for COVID – 19 schools students, teachers and management personnel to help and handle, there are hidden dangers for exposure incidents of school tips and help, belief in the future infections in Canada will be reduced and reduce. At the same time, each person during the outbreak and to be responsible for themselves and society, frequent hand washing, wearing a mask, reduce unnecessary go out, don’t take it lightly and keep a social distance of more than two meters.
Here are two videos about wearing a face mask properly, which can provide to people to check for whether people use the correct way to wear a mask every day when people go out. And also a video about 10 Tips for Staying Safe in the Era of COVID-19
Sources: the B.C. School COVID Tracker database.
BC COVID-19 safety plans
How to wear a face mask properly 1