SD23 'stretched' by absences, waiting on COVID-19 test kits

• First day of term sees a number of absences
• Likened to 'normal flu season day'
• District awaiting rapid antigen tests and how IH will distribute them

Amid rapidly rising cases of the Omicron variant, fears over increased hospitalizations, and a shortage of rapid testing, the Central Okanagan School District said day one of the new term was much like a typical winter flu day in terms of absences.

Administrators and parents will be keeping a close eye on absenteeism in this new calendar year as the main way to determine outbreaks and potential classroom or school closures.

But SD23 superintendent Kevin Kaardal said opening day absences were covered by teachers on call.

“Although it stretches us, we have been able to fill all our absences, so that’s good news as we start,” Kaardal told Kelowna10.

He was unable to give the precise number of no shows but said the Teachers Teaching On Call (TTOC) list and CUPE casual list can support about 300 absences if needed. He noted a typical flu season could see anywhere between 200 and 350 absentees among teaching and operational staff.

The school district does not log the specific reasons for the illness or leave, so it is not immediately known how many are COVID-19 related. However, Kaardal said the district was very concerned about the potential for large amounts of teacher absences and how that could force a functional closure, where a school would need to close because there aren’t enough teachers to supervise and keep it a safe space.

Tests are a scarce commodity

The provincial government said late last week, rapid antigen test kits coming from Health Canada will start to be deployed this week, with the K-12 education system a priority. But they are not available in SD23 yet. Some 600,000 tests were expected initially in B.C. this week.

Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said rapid tests remain scarce and every test in B.C. was being allocated to where the risk was highest and where the test would have the greatest impact.

“It’s a precious commodity that remains in short supply both here in Canada and globally,” Henry has said.

Interior Health announced Saturday that rapid antigen tests are temporarily unavailable at the Community Collection Centres in Kelowna and West Kelowna, although testing by appointment continues to be available.

Making tests available for schools

The local school district faces a similar situation.

“We know [the tests] are coming but they haven’t been delivered yet,” Kaardal said, adding the process by which Interior Health (IH) will distribute them is still in the works.

“We’ll have to talk about that when we get the tests. We’ll be working with IH to consider how best they see us using the tests. It may be they provide them to schools when needed, when certain absence/attendance thresholds are met."

The provincial government has said such thresholds for low attendance compared to what is typical for this time of year will be determined by school districts because local administrators know those statistics best. Kaardal said putting a number on what the threshold is has yet to be ironed out with IH.

“[But] families will know if a threshold is met in terms of illness that raises a concern in terms of a community and a potential cluster outbreak,” he said.

Have childcare plan

In the meantime, Kaardal said it was important for families and caregivers to have a Plan B for childcare because the situation will be very fluid.

“A situation … when we don’t have enough staff to supervise kids safely could literally develop in a matter of hours on a particular morning before school starts as people get up and feel ill,” Kaardal explained.

Latest COVID numbers

On Monday, the province reported 6,966 new cases of COVID-19 over a three-day period from Jan 7 to 9.

A total of 1,393 of those were in IH, bringing the region's current active caseload to 4,102. The BC Centre for Disease Control dashboard showed Monday's new cases at 459, a decrease of 67 since Friday. There were no new deaths.

A total of 49 people were in hospital in IH, an increase of five people since Friday. The number of critical care patients was at 21, a decrease of three since Friday.

Provincewide there were 431 people in hospital Monday, an increase of 82 since Friday. There were 95 people in critical care, two more since Friday.