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COVID-19 Information and Advisory

This page will be updated as we receive new information. 

This page provides details about:
  1. AMDSB school's health and safety protocols to keep students and staff safe.  
  2. The Ministry of Health's guidance for schools. 
  3. Reporting of COVID-19 cases in AMDSB schools  
  4. The COVID-19 vaccine that is now approved for anyone 5 and over.
  5. Ventilation in AMDSB schools (strategy, investments and school by school overview).
  6. Vaccination status of AMDSB employees (aggregate data).
  7. Communication to families (overview of the main letters, etc. that families have been sent to date).
  8. COVID-19 cases in Huron-Perth. This information is provided by Huron Perth Public Health.
 

1. AMDSB School's Health and Safety Protocols

On August 5, 2022, the Ministry of Education released it's guidance for school boards for the 2022/2023 school year. The guidance is based on the advice from the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health for Ontario and remains unchanged from the end of the 2021/2022 school year. Details include:
 
Masks
  • Not required but will continue to be available for staff (surgical and N95), students and visitors.
  • We remind staff and students to be kind and respectful of everyone's decision to wear or not wear a mask. 
 
Other PPE (eye protection, gloves, gowns)
  • Continue to be available/used, as required.
 
Rapid Antigen Tests
  • Continue to be available/used.
 
Self-screening

Hand hygiene
  • Hand sanitizer/soap continue to be provided/used.
 
Disinfecting/Cleaning
  • Schools and school vehicles continue with enhanced cleaning of high touch surfaces at least daily.
 
Ventilation
  • HVAC systems will continue to be operated 2 hours before and 2 hours after occupancy.
  • HEPA units will continue to occupy each kindergarten room, each space without mechanical ventilation and each learning space without MERV-13 filters.
  • Standardized Ventilation Measures Report will be posted on our School Ventilation Information page. 
 
Absences
  • Schools/Board sites will continue to monitor absence rates and notify local health unit (HPPH) when threshold reached.

2. Ministry of Education COVID-19 Health, Safety and Operational Guidance for Schools

 

3. Cases of COVID-19 in AMDSB Schools

The Ministry of Education is no longer reporting cases in schools. 

4. COVID-19 Vaccine Information

Health Canada has authorized a Pfizer-BioNTech Comirnaty vaccine made for children aged 6 months to 11. Learn more about this vaccine and this announcement from Health Canada. Our local health unit (Huron Perth Public Health) and the Province of Ontario have also posted information. 
 
 
For parents of children aged 12 and older, a letter from AMDSB and HPPH was sent to families on September 29, 2021 outlining the process that HPPH will use to understand student immunization status and coverage within classes and schools.  
 
Dr. Miriam Klassen (Medical Officer of Health, Huron Perth Public Health) released a letter to families regarding the importance of COVID-19 vaccination (for those aged 12 and over) on August 5, 2021.
 
Individuals turning 5 in 2021 and older are eligible to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. The Ontario government has developed a webpage containing materials and information for youth vaccination. The Ontario Ministry of Health also has a website containing vaccine-relevant information.
 
 
 
Answers to common questions about the Safety & Efficacy of COVID-19 Vaccines for Youth 12-17 (Ministry of Health) (PDF opens in new tab)
 

5. Ventilation in AMDSB Schools

 
 
 

6. Vaccination Status of AMDSB Employees

This information is no longer collected by the Ministry of Education.
 

7. Communication to Families

If you are looking for an archive of messages that were sent to families throughout the 2022/2023 school year, see the full list of emails that were sent. 
 
 

8. COVID-19 in Huron and Perth Counties

To view community transmission data within Huron and Perth counties, visit the COVID-19 in Huron and Perth page on the Huron Perth Public Health website.