WECHU recommends schools cancel fall extracurriculars due to COVID-19

The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit (WECHU) is asking, but not mandating, thatall local school boardssuspendextracurricular activities this fall as COVID-19 cases surge.

"Due to the rising number of COVID-19 cases in Windsor and Essex County, the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit hasstrongly recommendedto local school boards and private schools, that all extra-curricular activities, including sports, clubs, field trips, and other non-essential activities, within all school settings (both elementary and secondary schools) be delayed until at least October 2021," WECHU CEO Nicole Dupuis said in a statement on Wednesday.

A spokesperson for the Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board (WECDSB)said that it would be following the recommendation. At a board of trustees meeting on Tuesday,WECDSB director of education Emelda Byrne announced that WECHU had communicatedtherecommendation to the boards.

Inthethe Greater Essex County District School Board (GECDSB),director of education Erin Kelly said at a meeting on Wednesday night that the board will also be delaying the start of extracurriculars in line with the recommendation.

There are more than 500 active COVID-19 cases in Windsor-Essex, and provincial statistics released Tuesday show that the region has the highest case rate of all Ontario's health units.

The public health unit's announcement comesamid opposition fromparents and studentsto adecision fromthe WECDSB, Windsor and Essex County Secondary Schools Athletic Association (WECSSAA), GECDSBand Conseil scolaire catholique Providenceto cancel the upcoming football season.

The main reason for the decision was due to equipment safety,particularly the safety certification of helmets.

Byrne's announcement in Tuesday's meeting came just after Gino Facca, whoseson plays football at W.F. Herman Academy, gave a presentation to the board and trustees on salvaging the fall season for students.

Trustee Fred Alexander asked whether they could look toward having football start up in the spring, but Byrne said that likely isn't an option, from what she heard from WECSSAA.

She added that they are taking this school year one step at a time at this point.

"We're starting school next week we need to startschool with establishing routines for students to come back into the building, with this recent announcement that's what we need to focus on ... looking at spring, right nowwe're just trying to make sure we start schools with protective measures layered for Sept.7," Byrne said.