With spring break starting on Monday, parents are looking at how to approach the next two weeks amid the COVID-19 crisis.
鈥淚鈥檝e definitely been hearing from a lot of families,鈥� said Farrah Simpson, who has three children, ranging from an infant to a Grade 4 student. 鈥淢ost families I talk to now are cancelling their spring-break trips just to be responsible. Everyone鈥檚 wanting to do their part.鈥�
Some sporting events are being cancelled, which is affecting youngsters, said Simpson, who is filling the gap by holding a kids鈥� sports party this weekend.
Simpson said she has heard from some parents that they are considering not having their children鈥檚 friends at their homes.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a little bit of fear out there, for sure,鈥� she said.
鈥淚 think there鈥檚 just a lot of unknown right now.鈥�
The thought that schools might remain closed after the break has occurred to her, she said, even while memories of last fall鈥檚 three-week strike by unionized support workers in the Saanich School District are still fresh.
鈥淲e went through a strike already and had our kids home, and now we could possibly be looking at a similar situation if our spring break is extended.鈥�
Lisa McNeill, who has six children ages two to 18, said she is happy to have her children home for a while, rather than at school, where she worries there is a greater chance of germs being passed around.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 do a lot of camps and things, anyway, during spring break. We spend a lot of time outdoors.鈥�
The District of Saanich said in a statement that there are no plans to cancel any spring-break camps at this point, but participants and their guardians are encouraged to keep personal-hygiene practices in mind, such as frequent handwashing, keeping a two-metre distance and avoiding touching others.
The Royal sa国际传媒 Museum, another popular spring-break destination, said it has cancelled a number of its programs, including World Water Day on March 22, Live at Lunch: Orcas on April 1 and daily gallery and behind-the-scene tours.
The museum has also stepped up cleaning and sanitization procedures and has added hand-sanitizing stations in the lobby.
