Regina Public Schools (RPS) has closed Marion McVeety School after a staff member tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
It’s the first COVID-19 case detected in a Regina public school. As a result, the school will be closed for the next week and a half with online learning starting Thursday.
While other Saskatchewan schools have detected cases and remained open, RPS board officials decided that in this case that wasn’t a safe option.
“Due to the nature of the position of the staff member who tested positive, that staff member was throughout the school, so we could not guarantee that it was safe in one classroom over another classroom,” Regina Public School Board Communication Supervisor Terry Lazarou said.
RPS said it was informed of the positive case by the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) on Tuesday evening.
The school board confirmed the case came from a staff member who had multiple contacts with staff and students.
“We are also cleaning and disinfecting all school spaces according to recommended health and safety protocols,” said RPS.
The SHA is contacting any school family or staff member who may have been in close contact with the affected individual.
Lazarou added that this detection should be seen as a wake-up call, and should reinforce the need for parents to familiarize themselves with COVID-19 symptoms.
Students with minor symptoms are asked to stay home.
-With files from Connor O’Donovan
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.