Dear Parents/Guardians,

We are writing today to inform you of an order by the Medical Officers of Health for Lambton and Chatham-Kent, which have a direct impact on secondary school student athletes and coaches. Under the order, effective October 31, 2021, all student athletes, age 12 years and older, and coaching staff, who participate in indoor sports will be required to:

• 1 (a) –   Provide identification and proof of being fully or partially vaccinated against COVID-19; or a valid medical exemption as of October 31, 2021.
• 1 (b) –   Provide identification and proof of being fully vaccinated against COVID-19; or a valid medical exemption as of November 30, 2021.

This means students who wish to participate in indoor school sports next week must be able to show proof of at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine by Monday, November 1, 2021.

A ‘medical exemption’ means an exemption confirmed by an individual who provides written documentation as per the Ministry of Health Proof of Vaccination Guidance.

For the purposes of the order “…organized sports means sport(s) and recreational activities including, but not limited to, sports leagues, organized pick-up sports, dance classes, gymnastics, and martial arts and swimming classes, or as otherwise described in the Ministry of Health’s Proof of Vaccination Guidance under the Reopening Ontario Act and also including extracurricular physical activity or recreational fitness events run, organized or hosted at a school.”

As previously communicated, all spectators, age 12 and older, at indoor extracurricular sports activities in schools, are also required to be fully vaccinated.

For information regarding COVID-19 Vaccine clinics visit here for Chatham-Kent and here for Lambton.

Again, the vaccine mandate for student athletes comes at the direction of the Medical Officers of Health for Lambton Public Health and Chatham-Kent Public Health; not the St. Clair Catholic nor the Lambton Kent district school boards.  However, we are committed to enforcing the order, as required under the law. 

We look forward to your cooperation and support, as we continue to work with our public health partners to keep our athletic programs in our schools safe for our student athletes, coaches and spectators.

Sincerely,