Alberta to close schools and daycares immediately

EDMONTON, A.B. – The Province of Alberta has announced that Schools, Daycares and Post Secondary Schools are being closed to students and children immediately in Alberta.

The closure applies to all students in K-12, post-secondary schools and licensed childcare facilities in the Province. The closures are indefinite at this time.

The Province also announced that places of worship now need to follow the guidelines announced last week that any event over 250 people should be cancelled.

Alberta’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Deena Hinshaw says the cases of COVID-19 announced in the past had mostly come from people travelling back to the Province. There is new evidence that more cases have been caused by community transmission and that is the main reason for the change and closure of education facilities.

School authorities are expected to continue their regular day-to-day operations and ensure the safety of school facilities. Maintenance, capital projects, cleaning of facilities and administrative work will continue.

Every K-12 student will receive a final mark and students will progress to their next grade level next year. Provincial assessments, such as provincial achievement tests, will be cancelled. At this time, diploma exams essential for post-secondary acceptance will continue. Every student who is eligible to graduate from Grade 12 this year will graduate.

The Alberta government will also be working with post-secondary institutions to ensure that these extraordinary circumstances do not prevent students from being eligible for admission to post-secondary studies for the coming school year.