Bulletin – Updates for K-12 sector Provincial Communicable Disease Guidelines

The Ministry of Education and Child Care has issued updated Provincial Communicable Disease Guidelines for K-12 School Settings. The updates reflect current Provincial Health Officer orders and guidelines from the BC Centre for Disease Control.

There have not been significant changes to the BCCDC’s guidance for K-12 settings, or to the Ministry of Education and Child Care’s Guidelines since the last update in April 2022. However, school districts should review their communicable disease prevention plans with their Site Committees and Joint Health and Safety Committees (WorkSafe BC requirements here). Plans should be made readily available.

The Guidelines now incorporate previously issued Provincial COVID-19 Communicable Disease Guidelines for K-12 Settings, the K-12 Education Recovery Plan and the COVID-19 Protocols for School & District Administrators and Staff: Management of School-Associated Activity.

Key Changes:

Monitoring of Absences is no longer recommended as part of COVID-19 management; however, school districts are still to notify the Ministry of Education and Child Care when considering or implementing a functional closure.

Key guidelines that remain in place:

Cleaning and Disinfecting of frequently touched surfaces at least once in a 24-hour period and when visibly dirty.

Ventilation and Air Circulation with recommendations that schools consider guidance offered by ASHRAE.

Hand Hygiene and Respiratory Etiquette practices should continue to be reinforced with school community.

Updated information can be found on the COVID-19 safe schools web page.

View PDF here.