FALL RIVER: The Chief Medical Officer of Health for N.S. says that conversations are ongoing with the provincial Department of Education regarding graduation ceremonies this coming June.
At the COVID19 briefing on March 23, The Laker News asked Dr. Robert Strang with it getting to the eleventh hour, and the fact it takes time to arrange and plan a graduation, what the delay was in informing parents and school admin what they can and can’t do.
He said he has had discussions with his colleagues in the education department for the last couple of weeks on what graduations could look like.
“Their focus is going to be on graduations, on honouring students educational achievement, and doing that in a way that they know they have to plan,” said Dr. Strang.
He said he doesn’t have a crystal ball and couldn’t say what the epidemiology would allow for restrictions in June.
“I can’t give you any certainty about where we’re going to be at in terms of gathering limits and all the other COVID protocols when it comes to late May and June graduations,” said Dr. Strang. “The education system is doing contingency planning and they’re going to focus on graduation.”
As for proms, that’s being left to the community and parents to look after.
“Their position, and it’s one that I support, is they will leave that for families and communities,” he said.
“If they want to have some form of a prom that celebrates these young people, but again it will have to be done in a way that follows the gathering limits and other COVID protocols.”
VIDEO (editing by Dagley Media)
Dr. Strang said he understands people’s emotions at not having a clear answer on what can or can’t be done, but it’s just the way it is with the pandemic ongoing.
“I get the frustration, but there’s lots of other groups that would love to be able to plan,” he said. “It’s the reality of being in a pandemic.
“Medium to long-term certainty is not something we can provide.”
