ATHABASCA – The rapid increase of active COVID-19 cases at Edwin Parr Composite School appears to be subsiding, but students at all three of Athabasca’s schools will continue their lessons online for at least another week.
Aspen View Public Schools announced Thursday, April 8, students will not return to school as originally planned on April 12, but will instead continue learning online through April 16. The school division also updated the number of current active cases associated with the EPC outbreak to 101, which includes four at Landing Trail Elementary School (LTIS).
“Alberta Education approved Aspen View Public Schools’ request for this extension for operational reasons, based on the significant number of COVID-19 cases associated with the three Athabasca schools, and within the community,” Supt. Neil O’Shea said in an April 8 press release, noting Alberta Health Services has confirmed variant strains of COVID-19 among the school-related cases and that some of the students and staff are legally-required to self-isolate beyond the original return date of April 12.
“Our schools will continue to communicate with students and families to ensure learning is supported while in-person instruction is suspended,” he said. “We currently anticipate that in-person learning will resume on Monday, April 19, 2021. However, Aspen View Public Schools will continue to monitor COVID-19 cases, both those associated with schools and in the community, and the timeline will be reviewed as needed.”
As of 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 7, 2021, Edwin Parr Composite School is associated with 101 active COVID-19 cases. School-based close contacts from the 101 active cases include approximately:
• 564 students from Edwin Parr Composite School
• 63 staff from Edwin Parr Composite School
• 73 students from Landing Trail Intermediate School
• 3 staff from Landing Trail Intermediate School
• 66 students from Whispering Hills Primary School (close contacts through busing)
• 11 contracted bus drivers
“We wish a quick and full recovery to all those who have tested positive, and we empathize with all those whose daily lives have been disrupted by self-isolation requirements,” O’Shea said. “We also recognize that the suspension of in-person learning may create challenges for some school families. However, given the current circumstances around COVID-19 and variants within in our schools and community, we are confident that continuing with online learning is a prudent move at this time.”
According to the Government of Alberta’s geospatial map April 8, the number of active cases within the borders of Athabasca County, which includes the Town of Athabasca and Village of Boyle is up to 266. The Boyle area accounts for nine. The active case rate per 100,000 is at 2,034.7, with a population of 13,073 in the three municipalities.
There have been 200 recoveries and one death since the pandemic was declared in March 2020.
Westlock County has 28 active cases, while the County of Barrhead is up to 31. Those regions have each seen two deaths related to the virus.
The same day, Alberta’s chief medical officer of health Dr. Deena Hinshaw announced 1,429 new active cases in the province, bringing the total to 12,187. There were also three additional deaths, bringing the number of lives lost to 2,005. Hospitalizations are up to 340 across the province — 83 of those are in intensive care.
Variant cases now account for 44.8 per cent of all active cases (5,457) and Hinshaw said those who test positive for COVID-19 should now assume it is the UK variant, also known as B.1.1.7. Though not publicly available by region, the number of variant cases in the North Zone is currently at 725, which includes all the northern half of the province.
Alberta Health assistant director of communications Tom McMillan said in an e-mail April 7 the ministry does not “break down variants specifically by community.”
“Every case, regardless of strain, is a call to action,” he said. “The actions that individuals need to take for variants or any other strain are the same: masking, keeping physically distanced, limiting in-person interactions as much as possible, and stringently following the health measures in place.”
Aspen View reminds parents and guardians, as well as staff, to monitor for any signs or symptoms of COVID-19. The Alberta Health daily checklist can be found here. The school division asks the checklist be completed each day prior to attending school.
If any of the core symptoms listed on the Alberta Health daily checklist are observed, it is advised to keep your child at home and fill out the online Alberta Health Services COVID-19 self-assessment or call Health Link at 811.
More information from Alberta Health on the variants can be found here
Information on quarantine and isolation can be found here.
And Alberta’s mandatory public health restrictions can be viewed here.
“We continue to urge all our school families to observe public health protocols and self-isolation requirements, and continue to be vigilant to protecting the health of our community,” said O’Shea.
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