Saskatchewan to close schools by Friday to help contain COVID-19 spread

By Medicine Hat News on March 17, 2020.

Saskatchewan is following the same route as Alberta in cancelling pre-K-12 classes for the foreseeable future, but not until Friday.

From Monday to Thursday, Saskatchewan schools will be in a “wind-down” period, according to a news release from the provincial government.

“This means that parents who are able to keep children home should do so immediately, with no absence or grade impacts. Parents with limited childcare options have a window to plan for class suspensions,” the release explains.

Students will receive a final grade based on their current grades, but teachers will continue providing instruction – either from school or home – through alternative methods to keep kids learning for the remainder of the school year.

All Grade 12 students who are scheduled to graduate will still do so, and the Ministry of Education is working with post-secondaries to “adapt entry requirements for programs commencing in the next academic year.”

The shutdown will only apply to daycares located at schools. Directions will be coming soon for other licensed child care providers.

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe told a news conference the situation is constantly evolving. He said one factor in deciding to close schools was news out of Alberta on Sunday that the novel coronavirus is spreading there through the community.

The government said there’s no evidence of community transmission in Saskatchewan.

That may change, Moe said, and the public should expect near daily briefings with updates.

“We will step up our restrictions as required on the advice of the medical community, on the advice of Dr. Shahab, in particular, as we go through the next number of days. And we’ll balance that with some degree of normalcy in our communities,” he said.

“We need to remain calm as a society as we move through this.”

The Ministry of Health said suspending classes is being done as a preventive measure. It wanted to give advance notice so that parents with limited child-care options have time to plan.

– with files from The Canadian Press.

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