UPDATE at 3:15 p.m. Tuesday
Six cases of COVID-19 have now been connected to a Cobourg high school but an outbreak has not been declared, however, the school will close beginning Wednesday.
According to Cobourg Collegiate Institute principal Jamie Patenall in a letter issued Monday, the cases were reported over the last several days by the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit. It was not stated if the cases involve students and/or staff members.
An initial COVID-19 case connected to the King Street East school was reported on April 3
“These individuals will remain at home until the health unit advises they may return to school,” Patenall said. “The identity of these individuals is protected by privacy legislation and cannot be shared. We wish them a full and speedy recovery.”
The school is working with the health unit to identify anyone at the school who may have been exposed to the cases. An outbreak has not been declared.
“The health unit has asked us to dismiss four classes that were identified as high-risk contacts this weekend, and these families have already been contacted,” Patenall said.
“It is important to note that an outbreak has not been declared at the school because in all cases there is evidence of exposure outside of the school.”
On Tuesday afternoon he said a decision was made out of caution for the health of students and staff to close the school and have students shift to online learning for the remainder of the week.
“We will provide families with further communication to confirm a return date to in-person learning as we near the end of the April break,” he stated in another letter posted on the school’s website Tuesday afternoon.
The facility is thoroughly cleaned and disinfected daily, and was disinfected by an electro-static sprayed on Monday night.
St. Mary Catholic Secondary School in the north end of Cobourg is closed this week following a COVID-19 outbreak that was declared on Sunday