ALBERTA COALITION FOR SAFER SCHOOL RELAUNCH:
14 UPDATED STRATEGIES (JANUARY 11, 2021)

Masks4Canada (Alberta) has joined forces with the AB Coalition for Safer School ReLaunch with RadEducatorsNetwork, ABDocs4Teachers, and Support Our Students Alberta.
 
The Coalition partners physicians, educators, parents and Alberta residents in the urgent quest to achieve safer, equitable school environments for students and education workers across the province. In summer 2020, the Coalition collaborated and put forward 12 strategies for safer school relaunch amid the COVID-19 pandemic. In light of the announcement that students will return to in-person classes January 11, we have now updated & added to our strategies by analyzing new scientific data, situating the current pandemic context in Alberta, and reviewing the outcomes of the fall term.

Given that as of January 10, 2021:
a. Case numbers remain high in Alberta following a few weeks of public health restrictions
b. Health care system remains under strain
c. Two new variants of coronavirus identified in the province recently, one variant suggested to be potentially more transmissible in children
d. Recent research shows that school openings play a significant role in increasing spread
e. Collapse of contact tracing, school staffing shortages, and widespread school-related quarantines
f. Lack of detailed AB in-school transmission data

It remains the Coalition’s position that in-person classes should be delayed until Alberta is sufficiently prepared to lower the risk in schools and risk to the wider community as much as possible.

However, considering the Premier’s announcement that K-12 students will return to class January 11, the Coalition now urges government to adopt these updated strategies in an integrative manner to mitigate health risks and maximize protection to students, education workers and the broader community:

1. Update protocols to address aerosol transmission. Since it is now accepted that COVID-19 spreads by aerosol and has the potential to be airborne as well, all schools must undergo a thorough ventilation assessment. Alberta Health Services recently published an important guiding document that confirms the role of aerosol transmission in schools and Alberta Education should follow this document’s reference to ASHRAE* guidelines for infrastructure upgrades. Many schools have experienced deferred maintenance, so new evaluations and upgrades are essential for lowering risk of spread. Schools should receive HVAC system upgrades, MERV13 filters, interior air cleaners, plus other equipment to ensure adequate air exchange in classrooms and indoor spaces. 
2. Provide data transparency & targets for scenario changes. Province must publish detailed school case statistics, in-school transmission data, AND establish clear, publicly announced benchmark targets that trigger closures or scenario transitions. At the community level, need to establish the threshold positivity & infection rates plus case number thresholds for school closures. Once closed, government must establish numerical targets that indicate it is safe again to re-open (e.g. bringing R < 0.6; 300/400 new cases per day). Improve clarity on outbreak declarations, what constitutes outbreak status, and maintain consistent reporting of cases.
3.  Establish dedicated contact tracing for schools for timely communication and confirmation to administrators & parents/guardians. Contact tracing collapsed in the fall. Schools need the support of a robust public health system. We need assurance that AHS contact tracing has been bolstered sufficiently and will remain intact.  
4. Require indoor masks when child-appropriate, while recognizing that masks are not a sufficient replacement for adequate distance or proper ventilation. The decision to require masking must be based on age as well as individual cognitive abilities. Family physicians or pediatricians should provide guidance when the decision is unclear.
5. Implementing a variable class size cap for ALL grades (K-12), in a way that incorporates physical distancing measures, ensuring that all physical spaces used for learning prioritize the 2m distance mandate. Schools should designate cohorts with staggered entry, lunch, recreational and dismissal times. The ability to physically distance is still an important line of defense against droplet transmission IN CONJUNCTION with masking & ventilation against aerosol spread.  
6. Address transportation for students to and from school, limiting occupancy to reflect physical distancing mandate (2m), incorporate assigned seating, and mandating masks plus proper in-vehicle ventilation when appropriate.
7. Develop protocols that incorporate more than just a symptom checklist, given that a high rate of children with COVID-19 are asymptomatic. Each school must have access to expedited testing and rapid results turnaround to prevent spread to adult educators, families & community. Dedicated access to testing will minimize delays, risk, and unnecessary disruptions in the continuity of education. This includes the use of rapid testing kits when/where appropriate to provide results with minutes.
8.  Alberta Education, in conjunction with Alberta Health, must provide all the necessary personal protective equipment (PPE) for education workers, including masks, shields, disinfectant, and thermometers.
9.  Definitively cancel all standardized tests at all grades in recognition of the added stress and trauma testing creates for both students and education workers. Understanding also that measuring standards in a non standard year where the inequity around in-class versus remote learning, and likely frequent disruptions to learning resulting from illnesses and isolation periods will only skew results and magnify inequities. All standardized testing funding should be redirected to COVID-19 mitigation resources.
10.  Establish a policy for substitute teachers that minimizes risk of inter-school transmission.
11.  In the event of a scenario change (hybrid or complete remote learning), provide adequate resources for families and education workers unable to properly supervise children. Special considerations for children of essential care workers and students with complex needs.
12.  Take action to reduce community transmission locally prior to school reopening as well as on-going intensive community COVID19 mitigation is essential to protecting schools.
13. .Commit to the health and safety of Alberta students and education workers during a pandemic as the first priority by providing provincial funding to support every public school in meeting these criteria, recognizing the support needed will vary by school. Committing to stability and consistency of learning for students, as well as preserving interconnected systems of education and health care are vital to mitigating long term effects of the pandemic on children’s well-being.
14.  Acknowledge that school calendars can be altered or re-openings delayed until the resources and parameters for a safer school environments itemized above can be secured equitably across Alberta.

* ASHRAE = American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers

Coalition Partners:
Masks4Canada is a nation-wide organization of Canadian physicians, professionals, and citizens advocating for masks, face coverings and other vital public health safety measures (www.masks4canada.org)

#abdocs4teachers is project of #abdocs4patients, a grassroots, nonpartisan physician-led organization working to protect and strengthen public healthcare for the safety and well-being of all Albertans through collaboration with our communities. (www.abdocs4patients.org)
 
The RAD Educators Network is a collective of educators (teachers, professors, researchers, activists, early-childhood educators, etc.) from across Alberta who are working for equity and social justice education. (Twitter: @RadEducators)
 
Support Our Students Alberta (SOS AB) is a non profit citizens action group advocating for universally accessible and equitable public education in Alberta.