UPDATE: LPSD and LCSD have cancelled K-12 classes for Monday, March 16. Schools will remain open for staff.  Both will be providing updates on future school closures on March 16.

Lakeland College has also cancelled classes but campuses will stay open. They expect online classes to continue and are working to confirm the details.

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Both Lloydminster school divisions are working with Saskatchewan’s Ministry of Education on whether they should cancel classes.

LPSD and LCSD staff are speaking to the ministry on their next steps after the Government of Alberta announced that all K-12 and post-secondary classes have been cancelled effective immediately.

Alberta Education Minister Adriana LaGrange says all students will receive a final mark and will move on to the next grade next year. Provincial achievement tests have been cancelled but diploma exams for post-secondary acceptance will continue.

She adds the government is working with post-secondary institutions to ensure the cancellations will not prevent students from being eligible for admission in the coming school year.

They are calling on all licensed child care, out-of-school care programs and pre-school programs to close immediately. Exemptions for approved day homes have been put in place as they care for fewer than seven children at a time.

The decision was made after 17 new cases of COVID-19 were reported in the province in the past 24 hours. Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Deena Hinshaw says at least two cases in the Calgary region appeared to have been acquired through community transmission from an unknown source.

Places of worship are no longer exempt from the recommended restrictions on mass gatherings and restrictions are in place for visitation in long-term care and senior facilities.

Premier Jason Kenney announced they will be putting an additional $500 million into the public health budget.