The Medical Officer of Health for Windsor-Essex is hoping the recommendation to delay all extracurricular school activities until October will help bring COVID-19 case rates down.
"We've always been talking about how critical it is for our children to be in the schools," says Medical Officer of Health Dr. Wajid Ahmed. "We want to make sure that the education remains the top priority because we want to make sure that the children are getting the education in the best possible environment which is the school system."
Speaking on AM800's The Morning Drive, Dr. Ahmed says the health unit's decision was not made lightly but case rates in Windsor-Essex are among the highest in the province.
"In a month time with all these measures in place, we are hoping we will start to see a decline in the case rate," he says. "That would make it much more easier for us to allow more activities to carry on to provide not only the best education but also the social well-being and mental well-being of everyone else."
Dr. Ahmed adds, last year children activities were linked to the transmission of the virus.
He says some sporting activities were linked with school aged children, contributing to the spread of COVID.
The health unit made the recommendation for all school boards to delay extracurricular at the elementary and secondary level until at least October — this includes sports, clubs and field trips due to increasing COVID-19 cases.
The latest recommendation was shared at a Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board meeting Tuesday night.