Schools plan for a pandemic

A plan for a possible H1N1 pandemic was discussed at tonight's Huron-Superior Catholic District School Board meeting.

"The plan mainly has three parts," Director of Education John Stadnyk told trustees. "The first involves hand washing, the second involves cough and sneeze etiquette and the third involves an ongoing request that students and staff exhibiting flu-like symptoms stay home."

The major component of all three parts of the plan is education, Stadnyk said.

Staff will be asked to educate and sometimes supervise students in proper hand-washing..

The board has been working closely with Algoma Public Health on creating a plan to deal with H1N1 virus, on which the health unit has provided informational support and resources, said Stadnyk.

Stadnyk said that all 72 school boards in Ontario will be getting together tomorrow in a conference call with the ministry to discuss this and other plans to deal with an outbreak of H1N1.