STAYING SAFE

Definitely. We will work with you to find a suitable quarantine location for your child.

Please refer to our reopening plan: click here to download. 

As we did the last time we were ordered to close, we will not leave any student stranded. If we are ordered to close again during a second wave, we will make sure that each student has a safe place to live.

Tuition will not be lowered if we go remote again. Though, if boarding students cannot live on campus, we would adjust tuition fees to account for the fact that they are not being housed on campus.

• For boarding students, breakfast and dinner will be served in the Dining Hall; lunches will be served in classrooms
• For day students, lunches will be served in the classrooms
• Snacks will be available during the day

Yes, though, if parents can drive their children that would be preferable. Please see Section 7 of our Reopening Guide for our transportation guidelines. Click here to view our Reopening Guide.

Yes. As per government regulations all staff, and students in Grades 4 to 12 are required to wear masks at all times when indoors. Students younger than Grade 4 will not be required to wear a mask, though they are certainly permitted to do so. Masks will not be required outside.

Only sports where safe distances can be maintained, like cross country. For sports where social distancing cannot be maintained, it is possible that we may run “skills-camp” kinds of opportunities without being able to play games.

Enhanced public health measures have been put in place to protect the health of the public. This includes federal, provincial and local travel restrictions and advisories:

• All individuals returning from ANY travel outside of Canada are being required to self-isolate for 14 days and to self-monitor for symptoms of COVID-19.
• If you develop symptoms of COVID-19 while you are self-isolating you should seek clinical assessment over the phone – either through TeleHealth Ontario (1-866-797-0000) , calling  your primary care provider’s office, or calling Public Health 613-966-5500. If you need additional assessment, you will be directed to in-person care options. If you are in medical distress and need urgent care, call 911 and let them know what you are self-isolating because of COVID-19.

For more information about self-isolation and self-monitoring, review the Public Health Ontario COVID-19 fact sheets.

If you have travelled outside of Canada and become ill with mild respiratory symptoms, call Hastings Prince Edward Public Health at 613-966-5500, contact your own health care provider, or call Telehealth 1-866-797-0000 for direction.

If you have travelled outside of Canada and become ill with severe respiratory symptoms such as having difficulty breathing or shortness of breath while doing very little, call 911 or go to your local emergency department.

If you are experiencing any of the symptoms listed above and have recently travelled to affected areas, it is important to avoid public transportation and to immediately inform medical staff of your travel history.

If you are experiencing symptoms of an illness that spreads through the air, wearing a mask can help prevent the spread of the infection to others. The mask acts as a barrier and helps stop the tiny droplets from spreading around you when you cough or sneeze. Your health provider may recommend you wear a mask while you are seeking or waiting for care. In this instance masks are an appropriate part of infection prevention and control measures that put in place so that people with an infectious respiratory illness do not transmit the infection to others.

*Affected areas include any area under Government of Canada Travel Advisory for COVID-19.

The federal government has issued an travel advisory, advising Canadians against all travel outside of the country. See the answer to  ‘Do I need to stay home if I have recently travelled?’ section above, or contact HPEPH at 613-966-5500 for more information. If you have travel plans, check the latest travel advisories on the Government of Canada’s website for the most up to date recommendations.

The novel coronavirus COVID-19 (formerly referred to as 2019-nCoV)  is a unique strain of a common virus that is responsible for many colds and respiratory infections. As this is a new strain of the virus, work is still underway to learn more about its ability to spread, and the resulting health effects. Symptoms of this illness have ranged from mild cold-like symptoms to severe illness with fever, cough, difficulty breathing and pneumonia.

Many signs and symptoms are similar to other upper and lower respiratory infections, and can range from mild cold symptoms to more severe illness with fever, cough, shortness of breath, and pneumonia.

This virus is a new strain of coronavirus, so work is still underway to fully understand how it is spread. There has been evidence of transmission through close contact between humans, most likely from secretions or droplets in the air or on surfaces due to coughing and sneezing.

At this time, it appears that the virus is most often being spread through close contact with another infected person who is showing symptoms. While experts believe that spread from a person who is asymptomatic (not showing symptoms) is possible, this is considered to be rare.

Prompt identification, monitoring of symptoms and appropriate management of symptoms is the only treatment for the virus at this time.

The best way to protect yourself and those around you is to use regular infection control practises. These are especially important during cold and flu season.

• Wash your hands frequently using soap and water or alcohol-based hand sanitizer
• Avoid shaking hands with others, use other forms of acknowledgement
• Cough and sneeze into the bend of your arm, not into your hand
• If you use a tissue, throw it away immediately and wash your hands
• Avoid touching your nose, mouth or eyes with your hands
• Clean objects/surfaces that a lot of people touch (door handles, phones, light switches, desks), and wash your hands after touching these surfaces
• Don’t share items such as cutlery or water bottles with others – even immediate family
• Get your influenza vaccine to help avoid getting the flu
• Stay home when you are sick and avoid contact with other people until your symptoms are gone
• If you suspect you are sick, avoid visiting people in long term care, or individuals with health concerns

Please visit the HPEPH website for information about confirmed cases in Hastings and Prince Edward Counties.

For the most up to date status of cases in Ontario, visit the Ministry of Health’s web page.

HPEPH recommends that residents take four basic steps to ensure they are prepared for a potential COVID-19 outbreak in the community:

Ensure you are prepared

• Ensure you have enough supplies and essentials to stay in your home for up to 2 weeks

Make a contingency plan

• Make plans to ensure care for your dependents in the event you become ill or are asked to self-isolate

Know the risks

• Get up-to-date information from reliable health resources, and stay up to date on health travel notices from the Government of Canada

Practise good infection control procedures

• Follow basic infection control procedures to protect yourself and those around you

For more information and detailed recommendations, please visit HPEPH’s Outbreak Preparedness web page.