Three new school-related COVID cases

Quaker Road Public School in Welland. Photo credit: Twitter

Three people have tested positive for COVID-19 at three different schools in the Niagara Region

A person at A.N. Myer Secondary School in Niagara Falls, one at Quaker Road Public School in Welland, and another at St. John Continuing Education Centre in St. Catharines has tested positive for COVID-19.

Students and staff at the schools, located at 6338 O’Neil St. in Niagara Falls and 333 Quaker Rd in Welland were exposed to COVID-19 while each individual was infectious, the District School Board of Niagara reported Monday.

Niagara Region Public Health has determined that there is a low risk to the school community at the St. John learning centre located at 145 Niagara Street in St. Catharines, so operations are continuing as normal, the Niagara Catholic advisory said Tuesday.

The infected individuals are currently in self-isolation. NRPH is in the process of contacting all students and staff who had direct contact with the infected people. Those contacted will be advised to stay home and self-isolate.

As per protocol, DSBN said custodians will complete a thorough cleaning of the public schools. A public health inspector and a public health nurse from the Niagara Region will visit the school to complete a comprehensive assessment.

The school board said staff from both schools are working with Niagara Region Public Health and will comply with all requirements.

For privacy reasons, DSBN and Niagara Catholic do not share the identities of COVID-19 infected people in their schools.

Community members with questions about COVID-19 can call Niagara Region Public Health’s
COVID-19 Info-Line for assistance from a Public Health Nurse, which is staffed Monday to Friday, 9:15 a.m. – 8:30 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 9:15 a.m. – 4:15 p.m. at 905-688-8248 or toll-free at 1-888-505-6074.

COVID-19 in Niagara schools

The DSBN is currently reporting 27 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in 22 of its schools, with 16 closed classrooms and 20 resolved cases. All DSBN schools are open.

Niagara Catholic is reporting 37 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with 2 active and 35 resolved, in 19 of its schools. All Niagara Catholic schools are open.

COVID-19 in West Niagara schools

Detailed data as follows for each school board :

District School Board of Niagara

SchoolLocationCasesClosed ClassroomsSchool StatusResolved CasesWho was infected?
A.N Myer Secondary School Niagara, Falls11Open0Unknown
Dalewood French Immersion Public SchoolSt. Catharines10Open1Unknown
Diamond Trail Public SchoolWelland17Open0Unknown
Eden High SchoolSt. Catharines22Open11 student, 1 unidentified
E.I. McCulley Public SchoolSt. Catharines10Open1Unknown
Ferndale Public SchoolSt. Catharines10Open1Unknown
Glynn A Green Public SchoolPelham10Open1Child at YMCA daycare
Governor SimcoeSt. Catharines10Open1Unknown
Grimsby Secondary SchoolGrimsby10Open1Unknown
Lincoln Centennial Public SchoolSt. Catharines10Open1Unknown
Martha Cullimore Public SchoolNiagara Falls11Open01 student
Park Public SchoolGrimsby10Open1Unknown
Port Colborne High SchoolPort Colborne23Open02 staff
Port Weller Public SchoolSt. Catharines10Open1Unknown
Prince Philip French Immersion Public SchoolNiagara Falls20Open21 student, 1 unknown
Quaker Road Public SchoolWelland11Open0Unknown
Sir Winston Churchill Secondary SchoolSt. Catharines10Open1Unknown
Stevensville Public SchoolStevensville
(Fort Erie)
10Open1Unknown
Valley Way Public SchoolNiagara Falls10Open1Unknown
Welland Eastdale Secondary SchoolWelland30Open3Unknown
Westdale Public SchoolSt. Catharines10Open1Unknown
William Hamilton Merritt Public SchoolSt. Catharines10Open1Unknown
Source: District School Board of Niagara

Niagara Catholic School Board

SchoolLocationActive CasesResolved CasesClosure StatusWho was infected?
Blessed Trinity Catholic Secondary SchoolGrimsby11OpenUnknown
Canadian Martyrs Catholic Elementary SchoolSt. Catharines0 2OpenUnknown
Holy Cross Catholic Secondary SchoolSt. Catharines0 2OpenUnknown
Lakeshore Catholic High SchoolPort Colborne01OpenUnknown
Mary Ward Catholic Elementary SchoolNiagara Falls0 1OpenUnknown
Notre Dame College SchoolWelland01OpenUnknown
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Elementary SchoolNiagara Falls03OpenUnknown
St. Alfred Catholic Elementary SchoolSt. Catharines02OpenUnknown
St. Andrew Catholic Elementary SchoolWelland01OpenUnknown
St. Charles Catholic Elementary SchoolThorold01Open1 staff member
St. Elizabeth Catholic ElementaryWainfleet1?Open1 staff member (Ontario govt reporting)
St. James Catholic Elementary SchoolSt. Catharines02Open2 students
St. John Continuing Education CentreSt. Catharines10OpenUnknown
St. Martin Catholic Elementary SchoolSmithville010Open4 students, 4 staff, 2 unidentified
St. Mary Catholic Elementary SchoolNiagara Falls02OpenUnknown
St. Michael Catholic High SchoolNiagara Falls03OpenUnknown
St. Paul Catholic High SchoolNiagara Falls01OpenUnknown
St. Theresa Catholic Elementary SchoolSt. Catharines01Open1 staff members
St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Elementary SchoolNiagara Falls01OpenUnknown
Source: Niagara Catholic District School Board

School Board COVID-19 Online Trackers

Both Niagara school boards have online COVID-19 trackers that set out school data that parents can access online.

The District School Board of Niagara launched its tracker page at: https://www.dsbn.org/covid-19-information/covid-19-public-advisory.

It publishes a table of its schools listed alphabetically and tracks the “date of confirmed positive test” along with confirmed cases in each school, closed classrooms, and school closure status.

For example, the first DSBN school to register a COVID-19 case was Eastdale Secondary School in Welland. It shows the latest test date of Sept 18, 2020. It shows three cases and five closed classrooms.

The boards do not report who was infected, or whether the case relates to a student or staff member.

Niagara Catholic District School Board also launched its COVID-19 school tracker page at: https://niagaracatholic.ca/covid-19-advisories/

It specifies in a table the schools, active cases, resolved cases, Closure Status, (open or closed).

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