The division's Guidelines for Maintaining Safe and Healthy Schools were updated on January 12, 2022.
The following Isolation Requirements Flowchart has also been prepared to assist families in determining when to isolate and for how long:
Please be aware that:
- Isolation protocols from the Alberta Government have changed and have differing requirements for vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals.
- The Alberta daily checklist for adults and children under 18 has also been updated. Please complete the checklist every day prior to attending school and, if you have any symptoms, please notify your school and remain at home.
- All staff and students are asked to wear a mask while in school.
- AHS will no longer be reporting positive COVID cases to school divisions. PCR testing is only available for those in specific high risk settings at this time.
- The current recommendation is for staff and students to conduct rapid antigen tests twice a week, roughly 72 hours apart, even if asymptomatic. This repeated screening can help detect infection as soon as possible, since it takes time for the body to develop enough protein to be detectable by a rapid test after being exposed to COVID-19.
- To assist with this, the Government of Alberta has promised to send rapid antigen test kits for each student and staff member within the division. Each kit contains 5 rapid tests.
We continue to ask for patience as the situation continues to evolve. The division may have to make quick decisions and transition to virtual learning due to an uptick in cases or staffing shortages. We all agree the best place for students and education is in the classroom, but the safety and security of our students and staff will always be our first priority.