2nd student at Regina’s Thom Collegiate tests positive for COVID-19

Regina Public Schools (RPS) says another student at Thom Collegiate High School has tested positive for COVID-19.

The school division said the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) informed it on Nov. 1 that a second case of COVID-19 was diagnosed.

RPS said potential close contact students from the affected class are now self-isolating and affected students will continue their learning remotely until further guidance is received from the SHA.

Thom Collegiate remains open for all other students, according to a statement on Monday, Nov. 2.

In a press release, the school division said it was notified of the other positive case on Oct. 23 from the SHA.

“For the safety of all Thom Collegiate students and staff, we have closed two classrooms for the day at the school,” the division said in a press release.

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“Students and staff from those two classrooms have been asked to self-isolate. Over the weekend, after consultation with public health, we will be calling, texting affected school families to inform them if they no longer need to self-isolate.”

RPS says letters were sent out to all Thom Collegiate families to notify them of the positive case.

Any additional close contacts will be contacted by public health.

A close contact is someone who has been within two metres of the infected person for a cumulative 15 minutes, says RPS.

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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