Teachers' union OK with new COVID-19 prevention plan for Sask. Hutterite schools
Nearly 600 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed on Sask. Hutterite colonies
School and health officials have come up with an enhanced back-to-school safety plan covering every Hutterite colony in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta.
The plan was met with cautious approval by the Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation (STF) President Patrick Maze.
"Given the high numbers that are occurring provincially in Hutterite communities, we need to have assurances that Hutterite communities are following the preventative measures to a T," Maze said.
Maze said his members were extremely worried about returning to the colony schools. Some penned a letter of concern to their employers.
Nearly 600 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed on Saskatchewan Hutterite colonies and not all colonies have been visited by health officials yet.
The new plan, which will apply to the dozens of small Hutterite schools across the Prairies, calls for daily screening and temperature checks. Masks will now be mandatory in areas where distancing is not possible.
Maze said he'd like to see masks be mandatory at all times in Hutterite schools. He said it would be better to err on the side of caution and then ease up on the restrictions if warranted.
He said the STF will be watching closely, but that the plan seems OK overall. He said he's glad the Saskatchewan Health Authority was involved in crafting the plan.
Chinook School Division director Kyle McIntyre said he's confident the plan will keep teachers, students and the community safe.
McIntyre said schools will only open if colony leaders agree to the plan. He's confident they will.
"We're in this together. We're working as a team. Our enemy is coronavirus. As long as we continue to work together and we're open and we're honest and we're transparent and we follow the measures in our plans, then everyone will be healthy and safe," he said.
If there is a positive case or a community doesn't follow the rules, the school will not open, McIntyre said. The school division will periodically drop off written materials at the colony entrance and students will work from home, he said.
McIntyre said the division is in the process of contacting all Hutterite colony leaders to ensure they're in agreement.
No one from the Hutterian Safety Council could be reached Monday, but the council's David Tschetter said last week he also believes communication is key and is confident colony leaders will agree to the plan.