The Newfoundland and Labrador English School District is clarifying the board’s rationale for allowing Elections NL to use some schools for polling on election day.
Chair of the NLESD Board of Trustees Goronwy Price calls the election a one-time event that does not constitute a ‘gathering’ of people for an extended period of time.
He says a small number of Election NL staff will be on hand during the day, while individual voters file through, physically distanced and masked, for a short period of time. After a period of 36 hours, schools will be able to welcome staff and students on Monday as per usual.
“Tony Stack, CEO/Director of Education, said Elections NL contacted the District indicating it required additional infrastructure for polling stations this year, given Covid-19 considerations. The District ultimately agreed to assist, given the extenuating circumstances, provided Public Health-approved safety protocols were put in place – including mask wearing, physical distancing and having voters enter, vote, and depart through designated entrance and exit points, without any time spent lingering in the polling area.”
-Excerpt from the NLESD’s statement
Price says it is not the same as a typical in-school graduation or sports event involving larger groups of people gathering in a location for longer periods.
He says the district has already advised schools that if the virus can be held at bay and in-class instruction continues, they can plan for indoor school-leaving events for the Class of 2021.
At this time those in-school events cannot include visitors, but if that changes, they will adapt.
Just over 50 schools across the province will be used by Elections NL as polling stations during the election on Saturday, February 13. Fewer than 10 schools will be used for advance polling this Saturday, February 6 and access to all schools will be limited to the polling areas, most likely in gymnasiums.
