CORONAVIRUS SPREAD LEAVES SCHOOL YEAR IN QUESTION
Closures should have started on March 9, when most students returned from break
Many parents wonder if the ongoing coronavirus quarantine can be lifted in time to avoid jeopardizing the suspended school year.
Don’t get me wrong, the twoweek closure of schools instituted last Friday is required to battle the coronavirus pandemic.
In hindsight, the school closures should have started on March 9, when most West Island students returned from March break, with many families flying back home from abroad.
Health and safety is a priority, so I back the closing of non-essential gathering spots such as bars, theatres, cinemas, libraries and sports facilities to quell the spread of the virus.
Barring a horrific climb in local coronavirus cases, I think West Island elementary and high schools should reopen at some point this spring.
Health experts note that 80 per cent of people who contract the virus will have mild symptoms, meaning they will eventually recover and probably won’t need any hospitalization. It’s also been noted that few children have contracted the illness, though the reasons are unclear.
Of course, seniors and those with pre-existing compromised immune systems are the most at risk. I’ve not forgotten them.
More and more measures can be implemented, such as closing shopping centres for the next week or two, or providing seniors-only shopping hours at grocery stores or even pharmacies.
As well, companies — where it’s feasible — should allow more staff to work from home, something that I’ve done for the past decade as a journalist.
However, not every job or profession can be carried out from a home office.
If students do return to school sometime in April, families can still adhere to self-isolation protocols and avoid crowds on their own time.
I’m not a health expert, but I have to assume the coronavirus will not be wiped out in a month, or six months or perhaps even for years. It’s anticipated a vaccine won’t be developed until next year.
At some point, students will return to school. That will be up to the government and health authorities to determine. Will it be this spring, summer or only next fall? If it’s the fall, do students repeat their current grade, or should they graduate to the next level?
Stricter precautions will have to be implemented at schools. Washing down desks and door handles will be needed more often, while requiring students to wash their hands before/after recess or lunch should be mandatory.
Parents will need to stop sending their kids to school if they have any cold or flu symptoms, just in case it’s coronavirus-related.
It seems to me that social distancing might become a normal practice into next year and beyond — but a partial return to normal for children to attend school might be forthcoming in the coming weeks.
But who knows when that day will come?
Stricter precautions will have to be implemented at schools. Washing down desks and door handles will be needed more often, while requiring students to wash their hands before/after recess or lunch should be mandatory.