Parents want schools to aid contact tracing over holiday season

Some parents are concerned children have been sent home with undetected exposures to COVID-19 and they're on their own to conduct contact tracing as the holiday break officially begins for local students in French school boards.

Since the start of the pandemic, teachers, students and parents are only notified of a confirmed case in their classroom if someone tests positive on a PCR test conducted at a local testing centre, but not for arapid test, often conducted at home.

The availability of PCR tests is extremely limited due to skyrocketing demand in the community and parents like Mindy Sichel, who has a child withinConseil des coles publiques de l'Est de l'Ontario(CEPEO),areworried that will lead to children who have been exposed to COVID-19and have no idea.

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"The whole system with schools starts with that PCR test, and if you don't have that PCR test, then the school will not do anything," said Sichel, whose child is in Grade 6 at cole lmentaire publique Francojeunesse.

If a child tests positive on a rapid test, they will stay home, but high-risk contacts won't knowunless parents notify one another.

"Does this mean that if my kid brings home COVID or if another kid in his class has it, we're not even going to know about it? It's just like a terrifying black hole of not knowing what's going to happen. And it's really disappointing," she said.

Local public health officials have urged anyone with a COVID-19 symptom who can't access a PCR test to self-isolate for 10 days as the most protective approach to avoid spreading the virus.

Doctor wants more from children's school board

Dr. Shoshanah Deaton is a family doctor who also helps run the Rockland COVID-19 Assessment Centre. She has two children who attend a CEPEO school and she wants the board to help with contact tracing over the holiday season.

She also believes schools should begin reaching out to high-risk close contacts once a child tests positive on a rapid antigen test, instead of waiting for the results of a PCR test.

"Accept some responsibility in being proactive and notifying families because the schools have all of the information and are able to communicate rapidly and effectively through mass emails," Deaton said.

She wants an after-hours approach during the holiday break so parents can communicate directly with the board "and expect that the message would be disseminated amongst the parents of the school."

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Deaton says the board told her they wouldn't be able to fulfil her requests, and she pulled her children from school last week.

Each of her children hasone dose of the pediatric COVID-19 vaccine and she remains unsure if they'll return to in-person learning come January.

CEPEOdid not respond to requests for comment before publish time.