BSD facing omicron cases

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This article was published 20/12/2021 (1555 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The omicron variant may have made its way into three Brandon schools and possibly a fourth, according to Brandon School Division Supt. Mathew Gustafson.

A letter received by The Brandon Sun sent out to parents dated Dec. 19 from Manitoba Health, Seniors Care and Active Living stated at Vincent Massey High School at least one previously confirmed COVID-19 case from Dec. 13 and 14 in a Grade 9 cohort is now highly suspected of being an omicron variant case.

The new case still has to be sequenced for confirmation, Gustafson said.

“This may become a confirmed case, I don’t know when that would be,” he said. “There is usually a delay between sequencing and testing. And I would expect as the number of omicron cases increase in the community, we would expect to see more students test positive for that also.”

He said he did not know the details around the case and the division is not involved with writing the letters. The contact tracers and public health have the details. The school division distributes the letter and works with providing information.

The possible omicron case at Vincent Massey follows news over the weekend of three other schools that have confirmed omicron variant cases: Linden Lanes, Meadows and Riverheights. Gustafson, who confirmed the omicron cases at these schools on Sunday, said four classes between the three schools are affected by the omicron variant exposure. He reiterated the variant case numbers would likely change because those are from past exposures and all the students in those classes would’ve received revised letters. They are not releasing any further information until families are notified.

A letter from Meadows School dated Dec. 19 confirmed the omicron exposure. With three days left before the Christmas break, it advised parents their child’s attendance is at their discretion, as well as the cancellation of several events, including Spirit Week, kindergarten to Grade 4 Christmas Concert recording, the virtual Christmas Assembly and all Christmas parties and festivities.

The division has taken aggressive measures, like consistent masking, hand washing and other hygiene, students and staff staying home when sick, Gustafson said. If there is a chance of exposure, those measures become critically important in the cohort system. Those are still needed and become valuable tools.

“This is why a class could go to remote learning, but not the whole school,” he said.

For example, if there was an omicron exposure, they can limit the number of students who would be impacted, he said. He released a letter on Dec. 19 to parents explaining this, and that school administrators and divisional administration would be available during the holidays to keep families up to date.

This comes as Brandon School Division staff and students are heading into the winter break facing concerns of rising COVID-19 cases in classrooms.

The Sun reported an outbreak of the virus was declared at Meadows School on Friday. Public health has registered at least seven COVID-19 cases attached to Meadows in the two weeks before Dec. 14, according to the province’s COVID tracking map.

The last day of school before winter break is Wednesday, said BSD board of trustees chair Linda Ross, and the school division will see how things go over the holidays in terms of COVID-19 cases in Brandon and the province.

“More than one [case] is too many, but overall if we look at the numbers it’s relatively small,” Ross said during a phone interview on Saturday. “I think we’re managing as well as we can and there hasn’t been the spread in schools. We’re keeping a really close eye on it, but when the time comes and we need to go on remote learning then that’s what we’ll do.”

Due to the recent COVID-19 exposures at Meadows, BSD and the province decided to move a Grade 5/6 class to remote learning on Wednesday, with these students set to return to in-person instruction on Jan. 6, 2022. No other class at the school has moved to remote learning at this time.

Ross said there are some worries about entering into the winter break because students will be off for a couple of weeks and likely attending more social gatherings in comparison to the last two years.

It has been reassuring to see steady vaccination rates for students, she said, but it will be interesting when youth return to the classroom after increased exposure to other people.

She cautioned people to be as safe as possible over the holidays, while encouraging them to find rest and relaxation when possible with close family.

BSD administrators will be on call over the winter break to help navigate any COVID-19 cases or exposures that may arise.

“I think that people are mostly available as it is. Everybody always has their phone turned on and is checking their emails 24 hours a day because of the craziness of the society we live in now,” Ross said. “It will be necessary for administrators to do that over the break.”

She noted an additional concern is the identification of the omicron variant at a BSD school. The variant appears to be more contagious, but with less severe outcomes in comparison to other variants of the virus. Individuals associated with the class have been informed of the variant that was identified.

The provincial government has begun distributing tests for students to help track spread, Ross said, and will help the division if COVID-19 numbers continue to increase.

The BSD letter released to parents on Friday stated Manitoba is increasing access to rapid test kit supplies providing voluntary rapid antigen tests for students in kindergarten to Grade 6. It is not clear when BSD will receive a shipment.

A survey will be sent to BSD parents that will allow families to opt out of receiving a test kit.

BSD faces a different situation with the fourth wave of COVID-19, Ross said, as the school division has gained experience in moving to online learning. The first time students moved to virtual learning helped the division establish a strong foundation to ensure students have continued access to education, she said, but for families, online learning remains an anxiety because some parents are having to stay home from work complicating their lives.

“It’s hugely difficult for families with young kids, but at least we kind of know how to get started,” Ross said.

She added BSD has been fortunate in Brandon in that people have been compliant in terms of vaccination and health measures. COVID-19 jabs are helping control the spread of the virus and the division is watching closely to see how the situation is changing.

“There isn’t a lot of panic. There’s certainly a concern, absolutely concern. But I think that people have been fairly rational about it,” Ross said. “If you’re a parent and your kid has COVID, you’re going to be really, really, worried, but the cases have been relatively mild at this point.”

Elsewhere in the division, at least 13 other BSD schools have been contending with recent COVID-19 cases.

These exposure sites, as of Sunday afternoon, include Riverheights School, Vincent Massey High School, Linden Lanes School, J.R. Reid School, Neelin High School, École New Era School, St. Augustine School, King George School, Riverview School, George Fitton School, Crocus Plains Regional Secondary School, École Harrison and Spring Valley Colony School.

Since Sept. 7, there have been a total of 2,071 cases provincially in school-aged children or staff — from Dec. 2-17, there have been 306 cases in the Prairie Mountain Health Region.

BSD continues to encourage protective measures including self-monitoring for symptoms, staying home when sick, consistent mask use, hand hygiene, physical distancing and vaccinations. Schools are also continuing to monitor ventilation systems and employ cohort systems to limit contacts and prevent the spread of the virus.

“We’re doing the best we can in terms of keeping things safe and doing the best monitoring we can,” Ross said.

» ckemp@brandonsun.com, kmckinley@brandonsun.com, with Brandon Sun files