Education
August 26, 2009Minister Outlines
Plans for H1N1 Virus as Schools Prepare to Re-open
With a new school year beginning and the presence of
the H1N1 influenza virus in the province, the Department
of Education and the province�s five school districts,
in consultation with the Department of Health and
Community Services, are assisting individual school
communities in building awareness, providing information
and promoting basic infection control practices to help
prevent or limit infections from occurring in schools.
"It is important that school administrators,
teachers, staff, students and parents have access to
timely, relevant information that is in keeping with the
direction and advice from provincial and national health
agencies," said the Honourable Darin King, Minister of
Education. "Steps are being taken to provide the
information that our school communities will need to
help promote and maintain healthy learning
environments."
To monitor conditions related to H1N1, a Provincial
School Health Action Committee (PSHAC) has been
established with representation from school districts,
the Department of Education and the Department of Health
and Community Services. In addition, each school
district will establish an H1N1 influenza committee,
which will include a regional public health
representative.
Several resource materials are being provided to
school administrators including:
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ�s) to allow
principals, teachers and staff to become
knowledgeable about the topic and to assist them
in answering questions from students and
parents;
Information brochures to be distributed to
parents;
Health information posters to be placed
throughout schools;
Suggested web-based resources, including
videos; and,
Hand-sanitizers to supplement hand washing.
Resource materials will also be posted to the
Department of Education website prior to the beginning
of the school year at www.gov.nl.ca/edu. The department
and school districts are following the protocol for
prevention provided by the Public Health Agency of
Canada (PHAC) which promotes education and awareness
around hygiene. In addition, the Department of Health
and Community Services advises that prevention remains
the most effective measure to help protect against
influenza. Clean, Cover and Contain is the recommended
approach.
Members of school communities are encouraged to
practice the three Cs:
Clean: wash hands thoroughly and often
with soap and water or hand sanitizer
Cover: cover coughs and sneezes with a
tissue or arm as opposed to the hands which
frequently touch other surfaces and people
Contain: if you are sick, you should stay
home so the illness is not spread to others
The Department of Education will continue to work
with school districts as they finalize district and
school specific plans to promote prevention or respond
to outbreaks once the school year is underway.
"School district personnel have been working
diligently to prepare for the beginning of the school
year and every effort will be made to raise awareness in
each of our school communities about the importance of
following recommended hygiene practices," said Cindy
Fleet, President of the Newfoundland and Labrador
Association of Directors of Education and Director of
the Nova Central School District. "The use of hand
sanitizers was introduced as a pilot project in four
schools within the Nova Central School District and
proved to be an effective tool to raise general
awareness around the importance of hygiene. Their
availability in schools province-wide this fall will
prove to be a valuable support to frequent hand washing
with soap and water."
Hygiene-related measures that will be reinforced in
schools also include extra attention to the normal
practice of cleaning high-traffic surfaces and keeping
washrooms well-stocked with cleaning supplies.
"The health of our students and staff is paramount
for both the department and school districts and we want
everyone to be aware of the role they can play in school
and at home to lessen any possible impact of the H1N1
virus," said Minister King. "I encourage parents,
students, teachers and staff to review the materials
being provided and take extra care and caution when it
comes to practicing basic hygiene."
For health information related to H1N1 flu virus,
visit www.gov.nl.ca/health.
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