Ontario COVID advisory table recommends ‘permanent measures’ for classrooms ahead of school year

COVID-19 Science Advisory Table (SAT) has released a new report with recommendations on how to limit the spread of the coronavirus.The brief, released on Thursday said in-person schooling is “essential for children and youth for both academic educational attainment and for the development of social, emotional growth and life skills.” Universities, colleges should follow Ontario medical officer on COVID requirements: gov’t The advisory table said in order to limit the spread of COVID-19, a number of “permanent measures” should be implemented.These permanent measures include achieving and maintaining adequate indoor air quality, implementing proper hand hygiene, conducting environmental cleaning and disinfection, ensuring students and staff stay home when they are sick and ensure they are staying up-to-date with routine and recommended immunizations.The advisory table said temporary infection-related measures such as masking, physical distancing, cohorting, active screening and testing “can help reduce the transmission of communicable illnesses in schools.”“However, some can pose additional challenges to school operations, student learning and student wellness,” the brief read. “Furthermore, some of these measures may adversely impact social connectedness, which is of vital importance for children of all ages and of heightened significance in the adolescent years.”(1/7) We released a new Science Brief today on infection prevention and control considerations for schools during the 2022-23 academic year.