York Region District School Board reached out to parents yesterday in an effort to ease some of the anxiety about the Wuhan novel coronavirus and its potential to spread locally.
“Events like this can cause feelings of uncertainty and anxiety. Be patient with yourself and those close to you. Take care of yourself. Eat healthy, drink plenty of water, and get enough rest,” board officials said in a statement. “If you are feeling overwhelmed, consider taking a break from the news and social media. Provide children with age-appropriate factual information. Please reach out to the school if support is needed.”
Board officials also warned parents against sending their children to school wearing medical masks.
“If your child is ill, please keep them home,” board officials said. “Public health agencies are not recommending the wearing of medical masks, and doing so heightens anxiety, and may, in fact increase risk of infection in your child.”
There has been at least one report of a Newmarket Walmart selling out of medical masks yesterday, as well as hand sanitizer.
Additional protocols at schools are not necessary, according to York Region’s public health unit and Ontario’s chief medical officer of health, board officials said.
“Risk to Ontarians remains low and it is important that we work together to ensure children are feeling safe and that misinformation is not being spread that elevates concern,” the statement said.
The York public board’s education director, Louise Sirisko, and board chairperson, Juanita Nathan, also issued a joint statement yesterday calling on the community to not view the new coronavirus as a “Chinese virus”.
“At times such as this, we must come together as Canadians and avoid any hint of xenophobia, which in this case can victimize our East Asian Chinese community and we must rely on our shared values of equity and inclusivity.
“We are aware of an escalated level of concern and anxiety among families of Chinese heritage. Situations such as these can regrettably give rise to discrimination based on perceptions, stereotypes and hate,” they said. “Individuals who make assumptions, even with positive intentions of safety, about the risk of others, request or demand for quarantine can be seen as demonstrating bias and racism.”
While the virus can be traced to a province in China, those who are afflicted or are potential transmitters are not just people of Chinese origin, they said, adding the virus has appeared in many countries, such as the United Kingdom, United States, Australia and Canada.
“York Region District School Board works to ensure our classrooms and workplaces are safe and caring for all students and staff. It’s important that we not make assumptions about students or staff based on their race or travel history,” the statement said.
This comes after parents from more than 100 York Region public, Catholic, and private schools started an online petition urging school officials to ask those within the school community to self-quarantine for a minimum of 17 days if they have been to China recently.
Parents also asked that their children be allowed to wear safety equipment to school, such as respirator masks. The petition has so far seen nearly 9,000 people sign in support.
At least two private Montessori schools in Richmond Hill asked parents who have recently travelled to China to keep their child home from school for 15 days, according to media reports. At least three parents from the schools were reportedly on the same China Southern Airlines flight as the Toronto husband and wife who are the first confirmed and presumed confirmed case of the new coronavirus.
Meanwhile, York’s Catholic board also reassured parents this week that public health professionals at the regional and provincial level maintain that the risk to local residents remains low.
Ontario has launched a dedicated Wuhan novel coronavirus webpage that will be updated every weekday at 10:30 a.m. with information on the status of cases in the province, as well as how people can protect themselves and what to do if they suspect they may be at risk.
Of the 19 cases listed as under investigation yesterday, eight have been eliminated for the Wuhan coronavirus.
As of 10:30 a.m. today, Jan. 28, 11 cases are under investigation, and there remains just one confirmed case and one presumptive confirmed case.
If you have questions or concerns about your health, contact York Region’s Health Connection unit at 1-800-361-5653 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday to Friday, Telehealth Ontario at 1-866-797-0000 after hours, or your health care practitioner.
For up-to-date information, visit York Region's public health unit and the Government of Canada's dedicated webpages on the Wuhan novel coronavirus.
As always, during this peak flu season, you can help local schools reinforce messaging of healthy practices with the following:
- Get a yearly influenza vaccination, available from clinics and pharmacies (for flu only).
- Wash your hands frequently and thoroughly with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze.
- If you don’t have a tissue, sneeze or cough into your sleeve or arm.
- If you or your family members are ill, stay home.
