Sir Arthur Carty Catholic elementary school in London, Ont., says it received permission from the families to report that there are four confirmed cases of COVID-19 involving students from two families.
“We want to assure you that Sir Arthur Carty is a safe place for students and staff,” principal Ronan Heffernan wrote in a letter shared on Twitter.
“We know that there are concerns among families. We also know there are some rumours circulating around the community, especially on social media.”
The school, which is part of the London District Catholic School Board, says that the Middlesex-London Health Unit is contacting students and staff identified as close contacts of the four students.
“If you are not contacted by the MLHU investigators, you are not considered to be at risk,” Heffernan says.
According to data from the health unit last updated at noon on Sunday, Sir Arthur Carty is among eight schools within the MLHU’s jurisdiction that have active COVID-19 cases.
Sir Arthur Carty’s four cases is the highest at any one school, with the Thames Valley District School Board’s Lambeth Public School having the second-highest amount with two active cases.
The other six schools have one case each: the TVDSB’s A. B. Lucas Secondary, Eagle Heights Public School, Northbrae Public School, Sir Frederick Banting Secondary School, and Westminster Secondary School, as well as the LDCSB’s St. Nicholas Catholic School.
In total, the MLHU has reported 29 cases in school settings since the start of the school year involving two childcare or early years centres, 19 elementary schools, and eight secondary schools.