The Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board is ready to respond in the event of a COVID-19 outbreak.
A province wide framework for schools during the pandemic was released by the Ministry of Education Wednesday.
The framework provides a set of rules outlining home screening, when someone should be sent home from school or isolated and when the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit needs to be called in.
Superintendent of Education Melissa Farrand, says the board's plan already had those protocols ready to go.
"That individual would be required to self-isolate for 14-days then the local health unit will then notify the school and contact tracing will begin," she says. "The local health unit will determine whether or not a cohort or group of students are required to isolate or recommended for testing."
Farrand says the board can now move forward with its back to school plan.
"We were anxiously awaiting the operational guidance documents and now we have a clear path as to what to do in each scenario," she added.
She says transparency is a huge part of any response.
"We want to make sure that parents are informed immediately if an outbreak occurs so that they will know exactly what kind of action the board the school will be taking to protect their children," says Farrand.
Under the guidelines parents will be notified of a potential outbreak in a way that will respect confidentiality for parents, teachers and students.
CLICK HERE to find the entire guideline released by the Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board.