National

B.C. brings rapid response teams to schools

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 02 Mar, 2021 11:40 PM

Education Minister Jennifer Whiteside says six new rapid response teams will help schools in B.C. identify gaps in COVID-19 safety plans to help reduce exposure risk.

Schools are now supported by 6 regional COVID rapid response teams - 1 for each health authority and one for independent schools.

They are an important addition to the health and safety measures keeping schools safe for students and staff #BCED #covidbc https://t.co/qDnYBJo84Y pic.twitter.com/hwYJFAjuFP
— Jennifer Whiteside (@JM_Whiteside) March 2, 2021

The government says in a statement the teams will work with staff at schools, school districts and health authorities to review significant exposures to the virus.

They will review school or district safety plans and policies, assist in their implementation and make recommendations for improvements when needed.

The teams will also help schools and districts with communication plans.

The provincial government is spending $900,000 in federal funding to support one team for each health authority and a separate team to help independent schools.

Whiteside says gaps in safety plans and their implementation in some cases have been identified through reviews in cases of exposure, including classroom configuration problems and the sharing of supplies.

"We know that when our safety plans in schools are in place and being adhered to and we don't have any gaps in those safety plans, we know that is when our schools are safest," she said on Tuesday.

Funding for the teams was first announced Feb. 4.

A lead school district has been selected for each health region and in Fraser Health, where outbreaks have been concentrated, the Education Ministry says there has also been additional support.

Lead school districts include Surrey for the Fraser Health region, Nanaimo-Ladysmith for Island Health, Central Okanagan for Interior Health, Peace River North for Northern Health and Vancouver for Vancouver Coastal Health.

Prev Next

MORE National ARTICLES

U.S. seals the deal on USMCA, says trade agreement can now take effect July 1

The United States has cleared the way for its long-awaited trade agreement with Canada and Mexico to go into effect July 1. The U.S. notified its North American trading partners today that it has finished the domestic housekeeping work called for in the agreement, a step the other two countries completed earlier this month.

U.S. seals the deal on USMCA, says trade agreement can now take effect July 1

Poultry plant in Coquitlam, B.C., closed by health authority over COVID-19

A poultry processing plant in Coquitlam, B.C., has been closed by Fraser Health after an outbreak of COVID-19 among its workers. The health authority says two workers at the facility operated by Superior Poultry Processors Ltd. have tested positive for the virus and all employees have been screened.

Poultry plant in Coquitlam, B.C., closed by health authority over COVID-19

Expectant mothers to get financial help: Feds

Expectant mothers who have been left out of a key COVID-19 emergency-aid program will receive financial help, and will qualify for federal benefits when they go on maternity leave, says Canada's employment minister. Pregnant women who applied for employment insurance at the outset of the pandemic have found that they weren't automatically transferred over to the Canada Emergency Response Benefit when it became available earlier this month.

Expectant mothers to get financial help: Feds

Trudeau unveils rent relief for small businesses hurt by COVID-19

The federal government is providing rent relief to businesses that can't afford to pay their landlords at a time when their operations are seriously curtailed or shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The federal help, expected to lower rent by 75 per cent for affected small businesses, will be provided in partnership with the provinces and territories, which have jurisdiction over rents.

Trudeau unveils rent relief for small businesses hurt by COVID-19

Nova Scotia mass shooter had unlicensed guns: police

Police say the man who went on a murderous rampage through five Nova Scotia communities was likely using unlicensed firearms, and investigators are trying find out how he obtained illegal weapons.

Nova Scotia mass shooter had unlicensed guns: police

PM suggests U.S. experience will inform Canada's plan

Canada's federal and provincial governments will be watching closely for teachable moments as jurisdictions in the United States start to lift personal restrictions and reopen businesses in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says. The best way forward will be informed by what works — and also what doesn't — as the U.S. and the rest of the world emerges from the crisis, Trudeau said Thursday during his daily briefing outside the front door of his Rideau Cottage residence.