MEMO to All Staff: Staff Travel Advisory

TO: All Staff

FROM: Ian MacRae, Director of Education

DATE: Tuesday, November 24, 2020

RE: Staff Travel Advisory

The health and safety of our staff is very important to us and essential to the learning experience of our students. That is why we are taking the protection of our students and staff from the COVID-19 virus seriously. We are notifying staff that they are to follow the Thunder Bay District Health Unit’s recommendation of avoiding all non-essential travel outside of northwestern Ontario. The northwestern Ontario region is defined as White River to the Manitoba border. Anyone with upcoming non-essential travel plans outside of northwestern Ontario should consider rescheduling or finding alternatives to travelling in-person.

Essential travel includes:

  • medical reasons; and
  • human rights related reasons such as disability or family status accommodations.

To promote student and staff safety, staff travelling outside of northwestern Ontario (for either essential or non-essential reasons) are not to attend Lakehead District School Board properties for 14 days upon return and must be asymptomatic prior to returning to work. Staff returning from non-essential travel outside of northwestern Ontario will not be compensated for the requisite time spent away from work.

Our decision to implement a staff travel advisory is based on current medical advice. Our messaging will remain consistent with recommendations from the Thunder Bay District Health Unit as updated.

If you have any questions regarding this staff travel advisory, please contact your Human Resources officer.

Thank you for considering the health and safety of our students, staff and the school communities. Your efforts during these difficult times are appreciated.