Public health officials advise that starting Tuesday, November 24, 2020, Hanover School Division and surrounding schools will move to Critical (red) on the #RestartMB Pandemic Response System and move to teacher-led remote learning at home.
Acting on the advice of the chief provincial public health officer, schools have notified families and staff. This change is being made in light of the widespread community transmission of COVID-19.
The province announced earlier in the day that Steinbach’s test positivity rate is 40 per cent and that Bethesda Regional Health Centre is being pushed to capacity.
The school division said that the decision to move to Critical (red) is not a reflection of school-based virus transmission, but rather a preventative safety measure in response to the increased test positivity rate in Steinbach and the RM of Hanover.
A total of 19 schools from Hanover School Division are affected, as well as one Division scolaire franco-manitobaine school, one funded independent school and seven non-funded independent schools. Schools are working to move to a system of remote learning.
The Critical (red) level will result in:
- all students move to teacher-led remote learning at home;
- accommodating, where possible, K-6 children of critical services workers who cannot make alternative care arrangements, so these students may attend school. While at school, these students will participate in and receive support for the same teacher-led remote learning that their classmates learning from home receive; and
- students over the age of 12 who are children of critical services workers and have disabilities or special needs that preclude them from staying home independently will be accommodated, wherever possible, at the school and receive supervision and remote learning support.
Although school divisions are not responsible for student transportation during a Critical (red) level, the government is exploring options, including the possibility of continuing minimal bus transportation.
