Simcoe County’s second case of COVID-19 in a school has been confirmed - this time at St. John Vianney Catholic School in Barrie.
The case marks the first for a school in the Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board.
“There is an individual at that school who has tested positive,” said Donna Lorenz, communications specialist with the SMCDSB.
The school board declined to comment on whether the infected person was a student, teacher or staff member, citing privacy concerns.
“We’re taking direction completely from the health unit. So, today the whole student body was notified by a letter. A separate letter was also sent to all the kids’ (parents) who were in that class, and the (Simcoe Muskoka District) Health Unit was to reach out to the parents and guardians of those students by phone this afternoon,” said Lorenz.
Lorenz said that as of Friday, this is the only case of COVID-19 in any schools in the Catholic board of which they have been made aware.
“Because it’s our first case, we’ve been super careful to work hand-in-hand with the health unit to make sure we handle this in the way they’ve identified is the most appropriate,” said Lorenz.
People in the affected class have been asked by the Catholic board to stay home and quarantine for 14 days, and the classroom has been closed. The school itself will remain open for all other classes.
“It’s under an abundance of caution. The risk is minimal but the safety of our students is always our top priority,” she said.
The county’s first case of COVID-19 in a school was reported earlier this week, in a teacher at Twin Lakes Secondary School in Orillia.
