A student of Ontario’s Georgian College who last attended the school’s campus late last week has tested positive for COVID-19, Simcoe Muskoka’s top health official confirmed Thursday.
Georgian College said the student attended the Barrie campus and that the school is working closely with the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit on the case.
“We interviewed the case and other contacts in order to find out how many would have been in close contact,” Dr. Charles Gardner, the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit’s medical officer of health, told Global News.
“We’ve identified one individual who meets that definition, and that person is considered to be a high-risk contact and has been put into home isolation for a 14-day period. Others have been identified as low-risk contacts and are being contacted to advise that they self-monitor.”
Gardner said the health unit defines close contact as being within two metres with a positive coronavirus case for 50 minutes or more without wearing any personal protective equipment.
He also noted that Georgian College has had a “very good” COVID-19 plan in place since the beginning of June, which it worked on with the local health unit. Part of that plan includes building entry screening, mandatory face coverings indoors and enhanced cleaning.
“They’ve taken the added precautions with the location where the student had been for closure and cleaning,” Gardner said.
“I do know people are anxious about this, and understandably so, and it’s really key that people act on their concerns by being careful.”
Gardner is reminding people that COVID-19 is circulating in Simcoe County and Muskoka and advises people to continue to maintain a physical distance of two metres from others, unless they are in their same social circle of 10 people. He’s also reminding people to wear face coverings indoors, practice frequent handwashing or sanitizing, and self-monitor for coronavirus symptoms.
“We know about it in this instance, but there are many instances, I’m sure, in which we don’t know about it, and therefore, what’s really working and keeping the levels low is everybody abiding by those safety practices.”
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