A target date of Monday, January 24 has been set for the return to in-class instruction for students under the Newfoundland and Labrador English School District (NLESD) and the Conseil Scolaire Francophone Provincial (CSFP).

The Department of Education will continue to work with public health officials to monitor the risk level, and final confirmation of this targeted return date will occur on Wednesday, January 19. A key component of this plan to return to in-class instruction is the use of COVID-19 rapid test kits for students, teachers, administrators and staff.

The Honourable Tom Osborne, Minister of Education, Tony Stack, CEO and Director of Education of the NLESD and Dr. Rosann Seviour, Medical Consultant with the Department of Health and Community Services will be available to media today at 2:30 p.m. to discuss the resumption of classes and the rollout of rapid test kits.

All media will join by teleconference only. To participate, please RSVP to Tina Coffey (tcoffey@gov.nl.ca) who will provide the required information.

Media planning to participate must join the teleconference at 2:15 p.m. (NST) to be included on the call. For sound quality purposes, media calling in are asked to use a land line if at all possible.

The availability will be live-streamed on the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador’s Facebook and Twitter accounts and on YouTube.

Distribution of rapid tests to schools is already underway, and kits will be rolled out to families and staff once a date to return is finalized, in advance of required testing. School administrators will provide information to parents and guardians on how to access their kits.

Prior to the resumption of classes, all students, teachers and staff will be required to take two tests at home approximately 72 hours apart. If classes resume on Monday, January 24 as planned, the first test should be done on Friday, January 21 and the second on the morning of January 24.

Further details on the use of rapid tests in schools, including symptomatic testing once schools reopen, can be found here.

-30-

Avis public : Mise à jour sur l’enseignement de la maternelle à la 12e année et distribution des tests de dépistage rapide; le ministre Osborne sera disponible pour répondre aux questions des médias

Media contact
Tina Coffey
Education
709-729-1906, 687-9903
tcoffey@gov.nl.ca