MANITOULIN–Rainbow District School Board has confirmed three cases of COVID-19 in public schools on Manitoulin Island.
Little Current Public School had three confirmed cases among students as of November 10, while Central Manitoulin Public School had one staff case confirmed. There was also one student case of COVID-19 at Espanola’s A.B. Ellis Public School.
A letter sent to parents and guardians on November 10 advised parents that Little Current Public School will remain open for in-person learning and that the individuals involved are self-isolating and being monitored by Public Health Sudbury and Districts (PHSD).
Directions from PHSD indicate the Grade 3 class in Room 102 and the Grade 4 class in Room 207 are required to self-isolate to and including November 18. The isolation period for Grade 6/7 class in Room 206, which was dismissed on November 9, has been extended up to and including November 19.
PHSD is requiring students on the morning and afternoon elementary Route A969 school bus run be tested and to self-isolate to and including November 18, while the afternoon elementary bus run on Route A971 are also to be tested and required to self-isolate up to and including November 19. Those bus runs are cancelled. Route A969 will resume on Friday, November 19 and A971 will resume on Monday, November 22.
RDSB notes in its letter to parents that simply passing an infected individual in the hallway is not considered to be in close contact and that the risk of spreading the virus that way is considered extremely low.
Central Manitoulin Public School also remains open for in-person learning.
By direction of PHSD staff and students in Grade 4-Room 9, Grade 5-room 6, Grade 5/6-Room 11, Grade 7-Room 4, Grade 8-Room 2 and levelled literacy intervention class-Room 3 are required to be tested and to self-isolate up to and including November 18.
The schoolboard advises parents to screen for COVID-19 daily and to continue to use the COVID-19 screening tool for children in school and child care that can be found at covid-19.ontario.ca/school-screening/ in order to monitor for symptoms and to follow the directions provided.
RDSB emphasizes that anyone who is sick must stay home.
PHSD advises it will continue to investigate the situation and may implement additional measures.
The schools will follow up with students to ensure continuity of learning.
