All School District 8 staff will be required to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination as of March 11.

If they don含羞草研究社檛, the district will require them to undergo regular rapid testing or be put on unpaid leave. Students won含羞草研究社檛 be required to submit their vaccination status.

The district含羞草研究社檚 board of trustees voted in favour of the plan in an in-camera meeting Jan. 18, and announced it Thursday. The decision makes SD8, which includes schools in the Nelson and Creston areas, the third district in B.C. to require proof of vaccination from staff after previous announcements in Delta and Revelstoke.

An order issued Monday by public health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry gave health authorities the option to ask districts for the vaccination status of staff.

SD8 superintendent Trish Smillie said Thursday the district has not yet received that request from Interior Health. Its plan, she said, is a proactive measure meant to protect staff and students from the virus.

Part of the district含羞草研究社檚 dilemma, Smillie said, is staff who take sick days currently don含羞草研究社檛 have to disclose if they have COVID-19.

含羞草研究社淲e have staff absences that we believe are reflective of the illness,含羞草研究社� she said. 含羞草研究社淲e don含羞草研究社檛 know if that含羞草研究社檚 COVID or not. At this point we have been very fortunate to remain open at all of our sites.含羞草研究社�

Smillie could not yet say how often unvaccinated staff would be required to undergo rapid testing 含羞草研究社� she said that will be guided by the BC Public School Employers含羞草研究社� Association 含羞草研究社� or who will pay for the tests. Consultation on the specifics of the plan, she said, is still underway with unions and the district含羞草研究社檚 Indigenous partners.

The order comes as Omicron has led to a surge in local COVID-19 cases.

The B.C. Centre for Disease Control (BC CDC) announced Wednesday that the Nelson area, which includes Salmo and parts of the Slocan Valley, had during the week of Jan. 9 to 15.

That number is likely inaccurate due to the BC CDC含羞草研究社檚 recommendation that only people with COVID-19 symptoms who are also at risk of severe disease, or those who work in high-risk settings such as health care, should get tested.

Meanwhile, it含羞草研究社檚 unclear how many staff and students have become infected since schools reopened Jan. 10.

Parents from nine Nelson-area schools have also received letters from principals alerting them to attendance numbers that require a public health investigation, but no schools have been closed.

The Ministry of Education has stated functional closures will be considered if a school含羞草研究社檚 attendance drops 10 per cent below historical norms, or if fewer than 75 per cent of students in a grade are in present.

Smillie said parents have so far been supportive of staff since schools reopened.

含羞草研究社淲e just need to be compassionate towards each other as we go forward and continue working on our health and safety to keep each other safe and to care about the well being of others.含羞草研究社�

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| tyler.harper@nelsonstar.com
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