This message is being sent to all Education Centre staff
Dear Colleagues,
We are writing to inform you that the Durham Region Health Department has confirmed that an individual in the Education Centre, last in the building on Friday, October 9, has tested positive for COVID-19. The individual was asymptomatic and wore a mask while in the building. The identity of the individual is protected by privacy legislation and will not be shared. It is believed that the individual was exposed to COVID-19 somewhere else in the community and not in the Education Centre.
We know that news of COVID-19 can create feelings of anxiousness, and we wanted to make sure that you had this information as soon as possible in the interest of transparency and to help alleviate concerns. Upon notification of this case today, we immediately reached out to the Durham Region Health Department to inform them of the situation and determine next steps.
The Durham Region Health Department has concluded their investigation and determined a very limited number of close contacts. Those individuals have already been contacted and are self-isolating at home. The individual who tested positive is at home isolating, must follow instructions from public health and will return to work only when they have recovered.
Everyone else in the building is deemed to be low risk and are being asked to self-monitor for signs and symptoms of COVID-19 at the current time.
Signs and symptoms include: fever, new onset of cough, worsening chronic cough, difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, sore throat, difficulty swallowing, decrease or loss of sense of taste or smell, chills, headaches, unexplained fatigue/muscle aches, nausea/vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, pink eye (conjunctivitis), runny nose/nasal congestion without other known cause. For more information about COVID-19, please visit www.durham.ca/novelcoronavirus
If staff develop one or more symptoms, immediately self-isolate, follow up with your health care provider and/or call Durham Health Connection Line (DHCL) at 1-800-841-2729 and seek testing.
The Education Centre has continued to undertake and complete enhanced cleaning and disinfection practices approved by the health department and will remain open. No further action has been recommended at this time.
We will continue to take direction from the Durham Region Health Department and will provide further updates, if they deem it necessary.
The DDSB is committed to respectful, welcoming, inclusive and safe learning and working environments for all DDSB community members. We encourage community members to continue to treat each other with dignity and respect and to not treat individuals or groups differently because of biases, assumptions or stereotypes against anyone who has (or who is believed to have), tested positive, or who is awaiting test results.
Now more than ever, we must take care of ourselves and each other. We can do this by following the advice of public health agencies and government officials. To minimize the risk of COVID-19 while at work:
- Self screen daily. All staff are required to respond to the daily self assessment email to verify that you are completing your self-assessment.
- Physically distance from others by keeping 2 metres away as much as possible.
- Stay home when you are sick.
- Staff are required to wear medical masks while in the building.
- Clean your hands often with soap and water or use hand sanitizer.
- After handling nose and throat secretions (e.g. after throwing out used facial tissues) wash your hands.
- Cough and sneeze into a tissue or your sleeve.
- Avoid touching your face.
- Do not share water bottles, eating utensils, toothbrushes, toys or anything else that has been in contact with saliva, nose or throat secretions.
- Keep common surfaces clean.
- Disinfecting surfaces that are high-touch areas.
- Avoid close contact with anyone showing symptoms of respiratory illness such as coughing and sneezing.
As COVID-19 continues to be a part of our everyday lives, it is important that we all take preventative measures both inside and outside of the workplace. Social gatherings and get togethers can present an additional risk of illness that can be prevented.
More information on COVID-19 and schools is available from the Durham Region Health Department online at www.durham.ca/schoolsreopening
Yours sincerely,
Jim Markovski
Acting Associate Director, Academic Services.
David Wright
Associate Director, Corporate Services
