General

Lifting of COVID-19 Restrictions

Mar 10, 2022

Dear Lakehead Public Schools families,

The Government of Ontario has recently announced that beginning Monday, March 21st, many COVID-19 restrictions will be lifted in schools. Please see the following changes to masking in schools effective upon the return from March break:

  • No student or staff member is required to wear a mask in any school or Board facility;
  • No student or school bus driver is required to wear a mask on buses;
  • Anyone choosing to continue to wear a mask in schools, a Board facility, or on the bus is encouraged to do so.

Lakehead Public Schools asks families to recognize that some students and staff may wish to continue to wear a mask despite the lifted mask mandate. We ask all members of our school communities to recognize that health concerns or a preference toward masking is a personalchoice for individuals, and that we respect those choices.

Lakehead Public Schools recommends that students and staff continue to use the Ontario COVID-19 school and child care screening tool every day. Families and staff are encouraged to abide by the recommendations associated with completing the screen, including isolation requirements. The best health advice continues to be if you are sick, stay home.

For further details related to the recently announced lifted restrictions and how this may impact your child at school, please see the following information, effective Monday, March 21:

  • Students are no longer required to be in cohorts inside or outside of the school. This includes class time, lunch and recess times, as well as before and after school;
  • Physical distancing is no longer required;
  • Visitors, including parents and guardians, are welcome in schools. Visitors should continue to sign in and confirm that they have completed the screen before entering the school;
  • All music programs, including co-curricular mixed-cohort programs, can operate with no restrictions;
  • All co-curricular activities, including field trips, can resume to their pre-pandemic status. There will be no restrictions on spectator capacity or vaccine requirements;
  • Graduation ceremonies, award ceremonies, dances, and semi-formals are permitted to proceed without restrictions;
  • Schools will no longer be reporting voluntary test-positive cases to staff and families.

The following health and safety protocols will remain in place:

  • Hand hygiene etiquette;
  • Enhanced cleaning and disinfecting in schools and Board facilities;
  • Ventilation measures, including portable HEPA filters.

Rapid antigen tests will still be available for all symptomatic staff and students and can be picked up at your school office.

We know that many families will be travelling over the March break. All individuals returning from international travel are encouraged to view the current federal travel requirements as masking may be temporarily required in schools and child care centres upon return.

Should you have any questions, please contact your school principal or vice principal.

Thank you for your cooperation.