B.C. will be delaying the return to school for most K-12 students until Jan. 10, the province’s education minister announced Wednesday.

Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said the province will take a phased approach to returning from the winter break, with schools opening for children of essential workers and those with special needs on Jan. 3 or 4 as planned.

“Parents are encouraged to reach out to their school principal to make those arrangements,” Education Minister Jennifer Whiteside said.

All other students will return to class on Jan. 10.

Whiteside said a staggered approach will allow public health and education officials to assess the impact of the Omicron variant and plan for enhanced safety measures at schools.

In addition to existing measures such as physical distancing and mask-wearing, Whiteside said schools will look to reinforce the importance of daily health checks, stagger start and stop times to avoid crowding, hold more events virtually, limit visitors to schools, and pause extracurricular sports tournaments.

“We know it’s been a very long year for students and while some may be excited for an extended winter break, we know that many families depend on our schools being open and it’s critical for them to have our schools running a smoothly as possible for the duration of the school year,” she said.

“But taking a few extra days now for planning and preparation … we are setting up our schools for the best possible start.”

Source: CBC