One COVID-19 case reported at Korah high school: ADSB

Small number of students from Superior Heights, White Pines who travelled on the same bus are self-isolating as well

The Algoma District School Board (ADSB) is advising parents and guardians that one person associated with Korah Collegiate & Vocational School has tested positive for COVID-19.

A notice issued by ADSB today also states that some students from Superior Heights and White Pines who took Bus #4 on March 31 and/or April 1 have also been contacted and are currently isolating.

Algoma Public Health (APH) is currently conducting a careful investigation to identify close contacts and will contact all low risk and high risk contacts via letter to provide further guidance and direction. If you don't receive a letter, your child is not considered a close contact of the positive case.

The full notice is below:

Algoma Public Health (APH) is advising you that an individual associated with Korah C&VS has tested positive for COVID-19. We recognize that receiving this information may be stressful. To help you understand what actions are being taken and what to expect please review the important information below.

NOTE: Due to shared busing, a small number of students from Superior Heights and White Pines who travelled on Bus #4 on March 31 and/or April 1 have also been contacted and are following protocol for isolating.

At this time, APH is conducting a careful investigation to identify close contacts. Examples of close contacts include household members, students in the same classroom, people who have been in direct physical contact or belong to the same classroom/cohort, and people who have spent more than 15 minutes together within 2 metres or 6 feet of each other, such as while sharing a meal. Brief interactions, like walking past someone in a hallway are not generally considered close contact situations.

APH will notify all low risk and high risk contacts via letter to provide further guidance and direction. Please be reassured that if you do not receive a low risk and/or high risk contact letter, your child is not considered a close contact of the person who tested positive for COVID-19, in which case we do not recommend having your child tested unless they are showing symptoms of COVID-19.

We are working with the school community to review and confirm important practices to reduce the potential spread of COVID-19, including:

Screening children and staff
Ill individuals should stay home and seek testing
Household members of ill individuals must also stay home until there is a negative COVID-19 result
Cohorting (grouping and separation of) students and staff
Cleaning and disinfecting surfaces
Using personal protective equipment when appropriate (e.g., masking, eye protection)
Proper hand hygiene practices
Posting signage of appropriate public health measures (e.g., hand hygiene, coughing and sneezing etiquette)
Abilities and opportunities for children and staff to maintain physical distancing
Identifying children and staff that may have been in greater contact with individuals who have tested positive
Requiring that a person who has tested positive, and identified close contacts, not attend the child care centre for a prescribed period of time