The government of Saskatchewan declared a COVID-19 outbreak at Yorkton Regional High School (YRHS) on Sunday after several students tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
According to a letter sent to staff and families from the Good Spirit School Division, four people associated with the high school tested positive for the virus.
In a press release on Sunday, the government described the individuals as “a cluster of students.”
The source of infection is believed to be from community spread, says the government.
Following the advice of the local chief medical health officer, the school has closed and starting Tuesday, all classes will move online.
Monday classes have been cancelled to allow staff to transition into remote learning.
“The YRHS staff have been preparing for remote learning since the spring and are confident that the move to an alternate instructional model will not impact learning,” Quintin Robertson, director of education for GSSD, said in the letter to families.
The school division says they will tentatively plan for students to return to school on Oct. 19 based on the advice of the local medical health officer.
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The Saskatchewan Health Authority says it is working with a Yorkton business and the GSSD to investigate the cluster.
While investigations are ongoing, at this time there is no indication that transmission happened within the school setting, said the SHA in a press release Sunday afternoon.
On Sunday, Saskatchewan reported 15 new cases of the novel coronavirus. This is the first outbreak to be declared within a school.
There are currently three other outbreaks declared in the province. They include the Meridian Hotel construction site in Regina, a communal living centre in Lumsden, Brandt Industries in Saskatoon, and the daycare Centre Educatif Felix Le Chat in Saskatoon.
Questions about COVID-19? Here are some things you need to know:
Symptoms can include fever, cough and difficulty breathing — very similar to a cold or flu. Some people can develop a more severe illness. People most at risk of this include older adults and people with severe chronic medical conditions like heart, lung or kidney disease. If you develop symptoms, contact public health authorities.
To prevent the virus from spreading, experts recommend frequent handwashing and coughing into your sleeve. They also recommend minimizing contact with others, staying home as much as possible and maintaining a distance of two metres from other people if you go out. In situations where you can’t keep a safe distance from others, public health officials recommend the use of a non-medical face mask or covering to prevent spreading the respiratory droplets that can carry the virus. In some provinces and municipalities across the country, masks or face coverings are now mandatory in indoor public spaces.
For full COVID-19 coverage from Global News, click here.
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