“By the end of the day today, every school division should have received their shipments of personal protective equipment (PPE) in advance of the 2020-21 school year.
“Alberta remains the only province in Canada to directly provide school authorities with PPE for their students, teachers and school staff. Because of this support, every single student, teacher and staff member will receive two reusable masks; every teacher and staff member will receive one face shield; every school will receive two contactless thermometers and 466,000 litres of hand sanitizer will be distributed across the education system.
“This is another example of Alberta’s strong procurement practices throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the beginning of the pandemic, Alberta’s government, through the Provincial Operations Centre and the Pandemic Response Planning Team, has procured more than 12 million masks. Additionally, Alberta Health Services has purchased more than 185 million clinical masks, and 40 million masks were distributed directly to Albertans.
“Next week as schools begin re-opening their doors to their students, they will do so with the PPE they need to ensure the safety of their staff and students. This PPE, combined with Alberta’s robust school re-entry plan and health guidelines, will help support a successful return to school.”