Waterloo Region’s public health unit has declared a COVID-19 outbreak at St. Brigid Catholic Elementary School.
The outbreak at the Ayr, Ont., school was declared on Sunday after a student tested positive for the virus on Friday and then another student on Saturday.
In a letter home to parents, public health said an outbreak in a school is defined as two or more lab-confirmed cases in students, staff or other visitors with an epidemiological link.
The cases must also be within a 14-day period where at least one case could have been “reasonably acquired their infection in the school.” That also includes transportation and before or after school care.
Another case at St. Brigid was confirmed on Sept. 7, just two days into the school year, but it’s unclear if all three cases are linked.
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Despite the outbreak, the school remains open as of Monday.
An outbreak was also declared at Waterloo-Oxford District Secondary School in Baden, Ont., on Sunday as well.
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“Public Health’s investigation has determined that a student case, previously reported, is linked to an earlier student case in a Grade 11 class cohort,” the public school board said in a statement.
It added that the outbreak is related so this specific Grade 11 class only and is not a school-wide outbreak.
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