Alberta Releases Back-to-School Health Guidelines For 2021-22 School Year

Alberta will be setting up temporary immunization clinics in schools, Alberta’s Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Deena Hinshaw announced today.

The province says though Alberta is not mandating masks in schools for any age group, except on school buses, both students and staff should screen daily for symptoms using the Alberta Health Daily Checklist and must isolate if they test positive or have the core COVID-19 symptoms.

Immunizations will be available through temporary clinics in schools for students in grades 7 to 12 as well as teachers and staff starting September 7.

Alberta also says school authorities can enact stricter measures like physical distancing, cohorting, and masking based on requirements for their communities.

2021-22 school year plan and health guidance highlights

Students, families and school staff should continue to screen daily for symptoms using the Alberta Health Daily Checklist and get tested if they are symptomatic.
Best practices to reduce the risk of transmission of COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses will continue, including:
- Students and staff who have any new signs of illness should stay home and not attend school until they are feeling well.
  - If a student or staff member has any of the following core COVID-19 symptoms (new, or worsening and not related to other known causes), they are required to isolate for 10 days from onset of symptoms, or until they receive a negative COVID-19 test result, as per provincial guidelines:
    - Fever
    - Cough
    - Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
    - Loss of sense of smell or taste
    - Sore throat (adults only)
    - Runny nose (adults only)
- Cleaning and disinfecting high touch surfaces.
- Promoting frequent hand hygiene and good respiratory etiquette.
- Schools are encouraged to have a plan for students and staff who develop symptoms to wait in a separate area until they can go home.
Masking is not provincially required in school settings for any age group, except on school buses.
- AHS, through a zone Medical Officer of Health or their designate, may recommend masking to manage an outbreak and prevent more widespread transmission of a respiratory illness.
- Zone Medical Officers of Health and their designates may also recommend additional measures if a school experiences a respiratory illness outbreak including screening for symptoms and cohorting.
School authorities have the ability and the corresponding accountability to put in place local measures, such as physical distancing, cohorting, and masking requirements, that may exceed provincial guidance.

Alberta has released a Guidance for Respiratory Illness Prevention and Management in Schools document for schools and a back-to-school tool kit that provides information for parents and school staff on what to expect when students head to their classrooms.

As of August 12th, 54 per cent of 12 to 14-year-olds and 56 per cent of 15 to 19-year-olds are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.