There’s no additional benefit to contact tracing in schools: N.S. top doctor

Dr. Robert Strang says relying on government or someone else to notify people that they are close contacts gives people a false sense of security

CITYnews halifax \ Chris Halef

Listen to this article

Nova Scotia’s top doctor says there is no additional benefit to having contact tracing in schools.

During Wednesday’s COVID-19 briefing, Dr. Robert Strang, Chief Medical Officer of Health, commented on parent groups who have taken it upon themselves to produce this information.

“While I appreciate that people want to help and feel the information is important, there really is no additional benefit in school settings to have that contact tracing,” said Strang.

He said relying on government or someone else to notify people that they are close contacts gives people a false sense of security.

“The reality is the advice will be the same whether you’ve been identified as a classroom close contact of a case or not,” he said. “It will always come back to, follow public health measures to keep yourself and others safe, stay home when you’re sick and test as appropriate and get vaccinated with a full series and booster doses when you’re eligible.”

According to Strang, it’s fine if teachers or parents disclose their own health information, but it’s a slippery slope.

“Those are things that the school system need to take very seriously,” said Strang. “We take it extremely seriously in the health system and I would warn that people who are out there, potentially using social media, disclosing other people’s health information, that they need to be very careful about how they do that.”

Strang said students who are sick or who are close contacts of a known case should stay home and follow public health guidance.