I have attached below the letter that is being sent to staff and students at St Edward Catholic School. Due to test results, the Board of Health now considers the situation at St Ed’s an outbreak.
At this point in time, I encourage everyone to be actively involved in reducing community spread and infection control. Until we get a sense of the number of people testing positive, please consider all of the containment and mitigation strategies that have been practiced since March. Stay at home if you can and avoid get-togethers with people outside the household,, wear masks and maintain 2 m distance, wash your hands frequently.
If you develop any possible symptoms, please self isolate and call to make an appointment at the Assessment Centre for testing.
For more information, go to the Board of Heath website . www.healthunit.org
Letter being sent to staff and students:
Parents and teachers at St Edward Catholic School in Westport received letters earlier this week concerning possible exposure to COVID-19. The Health Unit has been in contact with all staff and parents/guardians of students to isolate high-risk contacts and provide guidance, and testing has been completed at the school.
As a result of the testing completed on Thursday, December 3, the situation at St Edward Catholic School is now considered an outbreak. An outbreak in a school is defined as two or more lab-confirmed COVID-19 cases in students and/or staff in a school with an epidemiological link, within a 14-day period, where at least one case could have reasonably acquired their infection in the school (including transportation and before or after school care). The Health Unit has worked with the Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario and St Edward Catholic School in the decision to close St Edward Catholic School until until all the results from the testing have been reviewed. At that point a definite date will be decided with the school board and shared with parents. Closing the school is a precautionary measure to reduce further spread of COVID-19.
In the interest of privacy, information about an individual with COVID-19 will not be provided, nor details of the class or grade affected. We kindly ask that if you know details to refrain from posting these publicly; be kind and resist the temptation to speculate or share rumours. We all deserve to have our personal health information protected.
Staff or parents/guardians with questions can contact the Health Unit’s school team at 1-866-236-0123.