Amid pleas from some parents urging school officials to let their children wear protective masks — and students asking campuses be shut down — educators are calling for calm.

As news surfaced Monday of a second case of coronavirus in Ontario — and 19 people being monitored — parents and students circulated petitions aimed at stopping the spread, while health officials tried to reassure the public they are working closely with the education sector.

“The health and well-being of Ontarians, including and especially our students and school staff, is Ontario’s top priority,” said Dr. David Williams, Ontario’s chief medical officer of health in a letter to the province’s school communities about the virus, which originated in Wuhan, China.

“Students, parents and school communities should rest assured that the province is working together in close co-operation with its partners in both the education and health-care sectors to ensure the continued safety and well-being of students and staff.”

In a letter to parents of its 247,000 students, the Toronto District School Board said, “We understand that many of our families have questions and concerns about the novel coronavirus ... Know that the risk to the public remains low.” Because of that, it notes, neither provincial nor local health authorities think additional precautions are necessary at this time, such as donning medical masks or denying entry to students.

Other school boards sent similar letters, which included tips on reducing the risk of transmitting the flu and respiratory illnesses. They include getting the flu vaccine, washing hands frequently or using an alcohol-based sanitizer, covering one’s mouth and nose while coughing or sneezing, and staying home if ill.

Meanwhile, an online petition by parents from dozens of public and Catholic schools in York Region, which has a large Chinese-Canadian population, was urging school officials to take action. “We cannot be overly cautious in protecting our children,” read the petition, which had more than 8,400 signatures by mid-afternoon. Among their requests were that students be allowed to wear masks; that those who have recently travelled to China be required to report that to the teacher so parents of other kids in the class can decide whether to keep their children home; and that anyone who’s recently come from China be required to stay home to cover the incubation period for the illness.

Another petition by a University of Waterloo student had more than 20,000 signatures and calls on campuses to close or make attendance optional saying, “We do not feel safe going to school and public places.”

University spokesperson Matthew Grant says there are no plans to alter the academic calendar, but protocols will be adjusted based on information from health authorities. Some measures it has introduced include updating the health centre’s triage system — students are immediately asked about recent travel and respiratory symptoms — and providing community members with information on the coronavirus. That includes the university’s 111 co-op students in China — one of whom is in Wuhan.

In her letter to parents, Louise Sirisko, director of education at York Region District School Board, said “many of our families may have questions and be feeling anxious,” but pleaded: “Please do not send your child to school with medical masks.”

“Public health agencies are not recommending the wearing of medical masks, and doing so heightens anxiety, and may in fact increase risk of infection in your child,” she said. “It is important that we work together to ensure children are feeling safe and that misinformation is not being spread that elevates concern.”

What do you think?

In a followup letter, Sirisko and board chair Juanita Nathan said “while the virus can be traced to a province in China, we have to be cautious that this not be seen as a Chinese virus ... At times such as this, we must come together as Canadians and avoid any hint of xenophobia, which in this case can victimize our East Asian Chinese community and we must rely on our shared values of equity and inclusivity.”

Concern among parents is mounting — but sometimes not based on accurate information. On Sunday, Maria Rizzo, a trustee with the Toronto Catholic District School Board, received a message from a parent saying “hundreds of Chinese students and teachers” would be starting at schools on Monday as part of a temporary program to see if they’d like to return in future as international students. “The parent community is very nervous,” the parent wrote. “How can we be sure these visitors are uninfected? The ramifications will be huge if something goes wrong.”

But on Monday, the Catholic board said it wasn’t expecting “hundreds” — only four students and four teachers from China were scheduled to participate in the temporary program, but they never left China, apparently because they changed their mind.

“Until this settles down — and I’m hoping that it will — I think people do need to be calm, but we need to be sure that every precaution is taken so that our students, and our community, are safe,” said Rizzo. She suggested the board “put a hold” on its international student program — students are scheduled to begin second semester, which starts in the coming days.

Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading...

As part of their international student programs, some school boards are expecting the arrival of students from China. At the TCDSB, about 80 students from China are slated to start next semester — but it’s unclear how many will arrive because China has put travel bans in place to contain the spread of the virus, said board spokesperson Shazia Vlahos.

She said Toronto Public Health has assured educators they shouldn’t be concerned unless a student has travelled through the Wuhan region in the past 14 days and is showing signs of being ill. On Monday, the board sent a letter to parents saying it’s taking a “number of proactive measures,” such as initiating a committee focused on pandemic responses — should Toronto Public Health make this declaration.

At the Peel District School Board, about 40 students from China are scheduled to start second semester.

Ontario's top medical officer says the first presumptive case of the novel coronavirus reported over the weekend has now been confirmed. Dr. David Williams says a man in his 50s who recently returned from China has been officially diagnosed after a test at the National Microbiology Lab in Winnipeg. Officials say the man's wife has also tested positive for the virus and is considered the country's second presumptive case. (The Canadian Press)

“At this time, Peel Public Health are not advising any delay in registering new students or delaying the re-entry of our current students returning from travel abroad,” said spokesperson Carla Pereira. “If this direction changes, we will share this with schools for immediate action.”

Linda Franklin, CEO of Colleges Ontario, which represents all 24 public colleges in the province, said members are looking into measures that may need to be taken to monitor their campuses and are currently setting up calls with provincial officials to be briefed on next steps.

Toronto’s Centennial College has stepped up campus cleaning of “touch points” such as door handles and washrooms, while hand sanitizer dispensers will be increased in number and visibility to encourage frequent use. A pandemic planning committee at the college is monitoring the situation.

Niagara Region’s medical officer of health, Dr. Mustafa Hirji, said his department has been in contact with Brock University, Niagara College and the high school Ridley College — they have large international student bodies — to ensure anyone who has been to China and showing respiratory illness symptoms be isolated.