Ottawa parent creates school COVID-19 tracker
An Ottawa parent concerned with a lack of COVID-19 data in school has created a website to track cases.
Katya Duhamel is the creator of the Ottawa Covid Tracker. It’s an online tool for parents to self-report COVID-19 symptoms and cases in schools.
“I created it because I really feel that it’s crucial to be able to know if you child has been directly impacted or affected,” she tells CTV News Ottawa.
The mother of a six year-old has a background in data and I.T. and says she created the tracker as a way of sharing information,
“I created a simple tool that parents, educators, guardians can use to go and report if they have a suspected or positive case of COVID.”
The online tool is accessible to anyone here.
Duhamel says that no personal information is submitted, not even the teacher’s name. Parents enter the school, class, cohort, last day at the school attended, and whether the case is suspected or confirmed.
According to the website’s description, “Given that there is no longer public reporting, and that testing capacity is very limited through assessment centers, we have created this website as a temporary way for parents, schools and daycares to share information privately about Covid cases in the community.”
The province is no longer publishing information on COVID-19 in schools, but is sharing data on absences online, whether they are related to COVID-19 or not.
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board will launch a voluntary COVID-19 disclosure process for parents, students and staff later this month.
The Ottawa Catholic School Board says it will still notify families of a positive COVID-19 case in their schools, should they learn of them.
In a letter to families, the OCSB said that, starting Wednesday, if the school becomes aware of a positive COVID-19 test result via a rapid antigen or PCR test, families would be notified.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.