Announcement expected Tuesday as B.C. school and health officials ponder extending spring break
Washington state, Alberta and Ontario have already announced extended school closures because of coronavirus
UPDATE, March 17, 2020: B.C. K-12 schools suspended indefinitely due to COVID-19
Most B.C. students could see their spring break extended beyond the regular two weeks as early as tomorrow because of COVID-19 concerns.
Health Minister Adrian Dix said the province's education stakeholders were meeting today to formulate a plan that would be revealed Tuesday.
"We have two weeks where schools almost everywhere in the province have shut down and we expect a formal announcement on this tomorrow [Tuesday]," said Dix.
For the majority of B.C. students, spring break is scheduled to end on March 30.
A spokesperson with the Ministry of Education said she didn't know at what time the announcement would be made.
Dix and provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry are scheduled to give a COVID-19 update at 3 p.m. PT on Tuesday. The event can be watched live at CBC.ca/bc.
West Van elementary school positive case
On Sunday, parents, staff and students at Irwin Park Elementary School in West Vancouver were sent a letter telling them a person at the school had tested positive for COVID-19.
"We have completed a thorough risk assessment of potential exposure to the school community and have identified a small group of individuals who have a low risk of exposure," wrote Dr. Meena Dawar, medical health officer with Vancouver Coastal Health.
Washington state, a hotspot for COVID-19 in the U.S., has already closed schools for six weeks.
And on Sunday, Alberta announced all kindergarten to Grade 12 classes in the province were being cancelled indefinitely because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The move puts students out of school one week before the Alberta spring break was supposed to begin on March 23 and offered no guarantee when or if they'll return to classes this year.
Last week, Ontario officials announced a plan to close public schools for at least two additional weeks after the March break in order to help fight the spread of coronavirus. The move affects over two million Ontario students.
A handful of private schools in B.C. shut down early for spring break last week after learning a person who was potentially positive for COVID-19 had been in their school.
Most B.C. post secondary institutions have already announced they are pausing classes or moving them online.