An outbreak at MacEwan University in Edmonton has resulted in 12 positive cases in students who were in the same program, according to officials at the school.
The outbreak was declared on Friday by Alberta Health Services, and an update from the university said that 12 students, part of a cohort of 45 in the Theatre Arts program, have tested positive.
The students who have tested positive are all isolating, the university said in a statement posted to its website.
“All of the students in this cohort last attended face-to-face classes on campus October 23,” the statement read. “Upon first indication of a positive COVID-19 diagnosis, the university immediately moved to online delivery of all classes in the Theatre Arts program. Face-to-face classes for the program will not be resuming on campus until November 30, 2020.”
The university said it has worked with AHS to notify all those who may have been exposed to the positive cases.
Alberta Health Services and Alberta Occupational Health and Safety also investigated the outbreak and found that “the risk to the general population of the university campus was extremely low.”
A representative for Alberta Health told Global News Saturday that the agency has been “conducting contact tracing and ensuring anyone at risk of exposure is isolated and tested.”
“We are confident the risk to our community has been minimized,” the university said. “We will continue to monitor the situation very closely. We extend our best wishes for a restful recovery to the members of our community who are in isolation.”
As of Friday, there were 54 COVID-19 outbreaks listed in the Edmonton zone.
Locations like acute care or continuing care centres are added to the provincial list if there are two or more cases, while most other facilities are listed when there are five or more cases.