Ontario elementary school closed due to COVID-19 outbreak
A Courtice elementary school has been shut down today following an outbreak of COVID-19.
The Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Catholic District School Board confirms that at least 11 cases have been tied to Monsignor Leo Cleary Catholic Elementary School since an outbreak was declared at the facility on Sept. 19.
“Due to the ongoing level of COVID-19 activity within the school and the number of staff and students who have been dismissed, the Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Catholic District School Board has made the decision in collaboration with DRHD (the Durham Region Health Department) to close the school to in-person learning effective immediately,” the board said in a letter sent to parents.
“This decision will prevent further spread of COVID-19 within the school setting.”
The school will be closed for at least two weeks and the board confirmed and all students will transition to remote learning during that time.
“DRHD is in the process of directly informing those identified as close contacts, who are required to self-isolate for 10 days from their last exposure to COVID-19,” the statement continued.
“Anyone else who attended the school between September 19 to September 24, 2021 are still considered at risk for exposure and should self-monitor for COVID-19 signs and symptoms for 10 days from their last day of attendance at the school.”
The school board is “strongly recommending” that all staff and students get tested for COVID-19.
According to the Durham Region Health Department's COVID-19 data tracker, there have been a total of 738 cases linked to schools or child-care centres in the region and 722 of those infections are considered to be resolved. The department said 16 cases are currently self-isolating at home.
One parent who spoke to CP24 outside the school said they were not provided with many specifics about the outbreak.
"They didn't give us any case counts. They just told us there is an exposure, an outbreak of the school," he said.
"We went through it last year. My wife was a little more upset because we have a baby at home and another one that's in daycare so the house is busy. But it is what it is."
About 181 students attend the school, which employes 20 staff members, but the board would not say how many cases involve students and how many involve staff.
Speaking to CP24 on Monday, Galen Eagle, a spokesperson for the school board, said Monsignor Leo Cleary Catholic Elementary School is only the second within the board that has closed due to COVID-19 over the course of the pandemic.
"Since the first outbreak, which was two confirmed cases with link in the school community, we've had a trickle of additional cases over the last week. On Friday, that case count hit 8 and at that point, given the size of the school community, the amount of students that were already dismissed as high-risk contacts, we began our conversations in fulsome with Durham public health to determine the best strategy forward," he said.
"It was ultimately a fairly easy decision to close the school... We thought that was the best way to prevent further spread in the school community."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Trudeau promises $1B in loans for child-care providers to expand care centres
The federal government is launching a new loan program to help child-care providers in Canada expand their spaces, and will be extending further student loan forgiveness and training options for early childhood educators, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday.
Spring allergy season has begun. Where is it worse in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
N.B. man wins $64 million from Lotto 6/49
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
'Nonsense:' Doug Ford slams lawsuits filed by Ontario school boards against social media platforms
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
King Charles calls for acts of friendship in first public remarks since Kate's cancer diagnosis
King Charles III gave public remarks for Maundy Thursday, addressing the importance of acts of friendship, following his and Catherine, Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnoses.