COVID-19 outbreak declared at St. Joseph’s Catholic High School, entire school community dismissed
St. Joseph’s Catholic High School will be closed until further notice as of Wednesday due to a COVID-19 outbreak declared by the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit.
According to WECHU, there are currently five confirmed cases of the virus at the school with the most recent exposure date of Sept. 9. The entire school community has been dismissed as a precaution and the school will remain closed until further notice.
“Based on the level of spread in our community, it is necessary to excuse students in order to limit the potential for spread in this setting. We are actively working to investigate cases tied to this school and provide guidance to those directly impacted” said Nicole Dupuis, Chief Executive Officer at the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit.
All students, staff and visitors who were in attendance from Tuesday, Sept. 7 to Thursday, Sept. 9 and have not already been identified as a close contact through a previously dismissed cohort have been directed to get tested for the virus.
“It’s frustrating. We were happy that they were getting into a routine again. He does better in school,” says Colleen Watson-Ruckle, who has a son in grade 10.
At times, he receives one on one learning at the school, but that won’t be available when he moves to online learning.
“The kids have had so much damage. They’ve suffered so much from this," Watson-Ruckle said. "Their personality has changed. They’ve lost friends. I just hope they get back to the classroom.”
WECHU says it is working with the school and the Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board (WECDSB) administrators to manage the outbreak, limit the spread of infection and ensure health measures are maintained.
“It was concerning, a little bit disappointing that this early in the year we did have to make that transition,” says Stephen Fields, communications coordinator for the WECDSB.
Fields said a team of nurses was at the school Wednesday to help facilitate the process of dismissing students.
“They were told basically told to take whatever belongings that they had with them that would help them facilitate to online learning,” he said.
Fields said a follow up message will be sent to students who weren’t in attendance on Wednesday.
“Letting them know that we are going to make arrangements for devices for students who may not have them,” he said.
The health unit recommends all Windsor-Essex residents follow the following health measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19:
- Get vaccinated (for individuals 12 years of age and older)
- Stay home if you are sick
- Maintain a physical distance of 2 metres from others
- Wash your hands often with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands
- Use a non-medical face mask when physical distancing is not possible
- Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or use the inside of your elbow when you cough
WECHU says due to privacy concerns, it will not be publicly disclosing any further details about the cases or number of close contacts at the high school, but will address the outbreak during its 9:30 a.m. briefing on Thursday.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
What a urologist wants you to know about male infertility
When opposite sex couples are trying and failing to get pregnant, the attention often focuses on the woman. That’s not always the case.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
An Ontario senior thought he called Geek Squad for help with his printer. Instead, he got scammed out of $25,000
An Ontario senior’s attempt to get technical help online led him into a spoofing scam where he lost $25,000. Now, he’s sharing his story to warn others.