Covid-19 Update
Dear Families,
On Wednesday 19th January, the BC Centre for disease Control released the updated Public Health Guidance for Childcare Settings with the following impacts to our preschool.
Symptomatic staff or children: Staff or children that are exhibiting COVID symptoms should stay home until they feel well enough to return to regular activity. According to newly released testing guidelines many staff and children will not be eligible for COVID-19 testing.
Confirmed Case(s) of COVID-19 in staff or children: Staff or children testing positive for COVID-19 by PCR or rapid antigen test should isolate for 5 days, regardless of vaccination status.
Household or other close contacts of symptomatic staff or children or confirmed case(s) of COVID-19: Although the guidance says staff or children who are contacts may continue to attend childcare, regardless of vaccination status, unless they develop symptoms and/or test positive for COVID-19, we respectfully request that if someone in your household has a confirmed case (tests positive) or suspected case (has symptoms) that your child does NOT attend preschool until the 5 day isolation period is complete.
In order to protect our educators, children, and families, we have decided to take an interim cautionary approach, as the Omicron variant is highly transmissible and rampant in our community. The infectious period is two days before symptoms appear so it’s likely that if a child is exposed to COVID-19 at home and continues to attend preschool, they could infect other children and their teachers before they show symptoms. Many of our children have close contact with their Grandparents, and we have members of our teachers and children's families who are immunocompromised. Our request to staff or families to keep children home for 5 days when there is a confirmed case in their household is one step we can all take to provide a safe preschool environment.
Having reflected on this new guidance and our current protective measures we have decided to re-introduce daily temperature checks each morning in our preschool program at QEA. We will make these temperature checks a fun experience for the children. We do respect the children’s decision to decline a temperature check upon arrival.
Throughout the pandemic, our community of amazing families has continued to support the preschool and keep their children home when sick, or when self isolating. We hope that we can continue to work together to keep everyone healthy and avoid a functional closure in the future.
In the event that a functional closure becomes necessary we will inform families via Seesaw by 7.30am in the morning. Please let me know if you need help accessing your child's Seesaw account. Notifications of COVID-19 exposures in our preschool and outdoor programs will be sent to close contacts via email.
Our team offers its heartfelt thanks to our families for their continued faith in us to make difficult decisions which are safest for the entire Bayview Preschool community.
Warmly,
Nicole Clements,
Bayview Preschool Administrator
(236) 996-9098 or admin@bayviewpreschool.ca.