Parents 'crowdsource' self-reporting website for school COVID-19 cases
Frustrated that school-related COVID-19 cases are no longer being reported by their child's school, a pair of Kincardine, Ont. parents have decided to take matter into their own hands.
“We’re parents of a six-year-old. So, trying to decide whether to send your child to school or not becomes a lot trickier when we don’t have numbers and caseloads. So, we went looking for a way to try and find more information, to help us make an informed decision,” says Keith Foster, the web designer and Kincardine parent behind covid.inkincardine.com.
Keith and Sarah Foster are the parents behind the website where Kincardine-area families can self-report their child’s positive COVID-19 rapid tests and/or their COVID-19-related household isolation.
They’re currently taking in self-reports for nine schools and daycares in Kincardine, Walkerton and Ripley.
“What we’re tracking is really absenteeism at the schools in our area, so we can look at the data and say, should I send our kids to school, rather than just guessing. We now have a least a little bit more information to make somewhat of a more informed decision,” says Keith.
As of Dec. 24, 2021, Ontario schools no longer have to report individual COVID-19 cases to the public. They’re only required to tell parents when absenteeism surpasses 30 per cent.
The Bluewater District School Board says they’ll be following the 30 per cent threshold, while officials with the Avon Maitland District School Board says they’re still deciding on their COVID-19 reporting.
“We’ve had both positive and negative feedback so far. Some folks think it’s just fear mongering by putting the numbers out there, but others have found it really helpful and have encouraged parents to bookmark it and use it,” says Sarah.
The Fosters contacted an epidemiologist before creating their site, who recommended removing age-based reports for privacy reasons.
The site, which was manually managed by the Fosters in the beginning, now essentially runs itself, actually automatically removing reported cases once the reported isolation period ends.
“The data is really only as accurate as what we get from people. So, there’s lots of trust that people are submitting correct data, but the data we have is the best that we have. There is really no other way for us to make an informed decision, so we really just have to roll with it,” says Keith.
Correction
A previous version of this story indicated schools in Owen Sound were included in the project, but they are not. We apologize for the error.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trudeau acknowledges charges in Nijjar killing, calls for commitment to democracy
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has acknowledged the charges laid Friday in relation to the murder of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Bodies recovered in Mexico likely 2 Australians, 1 American who went missing: officials
Three bodies recovered in an area of Baja California are likely to be those of the two Australians and an American who went missing last weekend during a camping and surfing trip, the state prosecutor’s office said Saturday.
Princess Anne lays wreath at B.C. veteran's cemetery; receives 21-gun salute
Princess Anne paid tribute to veterans buried at a cemetery in British Columbia today, laying a wreath to honour the more than 2,500 military personnel and family members buried there.
Mystik Dan wins the 150th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in a three-horse photo finish
Mystik Dan won the 150th Kentucky Derby in a photo finish, edging out Forever Young and Sierra Leone for the upset victory.
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Work stoppage possible as WestJet issues lockout notice to maintenance engineers' union
A lockout notice issued by WestJet to a union representing aircraft maintenance engineers could result in a work stoppage next week.
London Drugs begins 'gradual reopening' on 7th day after cyberattack
Almost a week after all London Drugs stores across Western Canada abruptly closed amid a cyberattack, they began a "gradual reopening" on Saturday.