English schools in western Quebec to close amid heat wave
CBC News | Posted: May 26, 2020 4:39 PM | Last Updated: May 26, 2020
COVID-19 precautions mean schools can't use fans, board says
The English-language Western Québec School Board says it's decided to keep elementary students home on Wednesday because COVID-19 restrictions prevent the use of fans, even during the current heat wave.
Gatineau, Que., is under a heat warning and surrounding areas are under a special weather statement, with highs expected to remain in the low 30s until Friday.
The board said it there are restrictions on the use of fans in its schools during the COVID-19 pandemic. The illness spreads primarily through droplets.
The board didn't mention its plans for the rest of the week.
None of the French school boards in the region has announced similar closures.
The Portages de l'Outaouais school board said in a Facebook post it was told by public health officials it can use fans and air conditioners because it doesn't let anyone with symptoms of COVID-19 into its schools.
Both it and the Hauts-Bois-de-l'Outaouais school board have asked parents to send their children to school with water and light clothes.
High schools in Quebec remain closed until the fall, as do all elementary and high schools in Ontario.