Two COVID-19 infections at Niagara Catholic elementary schools in Smithville and St. Catharines

St. Martin Elementary School A person at St. Martin Elementary School in Smithville (pictured) and one at a St. Catharines elementary school have tested positive for COVID-19. Photo credit: Niagara Catholic School Board website.

A person at a Smithville elementary school and one at a St. Catharines elementary school have tested positive for COVID-19.

The Niagara Catholic District School Board said one case was confirmed and six classrooms were exposed at St. Martin Catholic Elementary School located at 18 Streamside Dr in Smithville.

At St. James Catholic Elementary School located at 615 Geneva St, St. Catharines, one case was confirmed and some students and staff were exposed.

Both individuals are currently in self-isolation and those who have had direct contact with the individual have been or are in the process of being contacted by Niagara Public Health. Those contacted will be advised to stay home and self-isolate.

For privacy reasons, Niagara Catholic did not share the identities of the two people.

Anyone with questions about COVID-19 are encouraged to call Niagara Region Public Health for assistance from a Public Health Nurse on the COVID-19 Info-Line. It 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 17 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in 15 of its schools, with three closed classrooms. All DSBN schools are open.

Niagara Catholic is reporting 22 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with nine active and 13 resolved, in 15 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 Cases
Dalewood French Immersion Public SchoolSt. Catharines10Open1
Eden High SchoolSt. Catharines10Open1
E.I. McCulley Public SchoolSt. Catharines11Open0
Ferndale Public SchoolSt. Catharines10Open1
Governor SimcoeSt. Catharines11Open0
Grimsby Secondary SchoolGrimsby10Open1
Lincoln Centennial Public SchoolSt. Catharines10Open1
Park Public SchoolGrimsby10Open1
Port Weller Public SchoolSt. Catharines10Open1
Sir Winston Churchill Secondary SchoolSt. Catharines10Open1
Stevensville Public SchoolStevensville
(Fort Erie)
10Open1
Valley Way Public SchoolNiagara Falls10Open1
Welland Eastdale Secondary SchoolWelland30Open3
Westdale Public SchoolSt. Catharines11Open0
William Hamilton Merritt Public SchoolSt. Catharines10Open1
Source: District School Board of Niagara

Niagara Catholic School Board

SchoolLocationActive CasesResolved CasesClosure Status
Blessed Trinity Catholic Secondary SchoolGrimsby01Open
Canadian Martyrs Catholic Elementary SchoolSt. Catharines1 1Open
Holy Cross Catholic Secondary SchoolSt. Catharines0 2Open
Lakeshore Catholic High SchoolPort Colborne10Open
Mary Ward Catholic Elementary SchoolNiagara Falls0 1Open
Notre Dame College SchoolWelland10Open
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Elementary SchoolNiagara Falls03Open
St. Andrew Catholic Elementary SchoolWelland10Open
St. James Catholic Elementary SchoolSt. Catharines10Open
St. Martin Catholic Elementary SchoolSmithville10Open
St. Mary Catholic Elementary SchoolNiagara Falls20Open
St. Michael Catholic High SchoolNiagara Falls12Open
St. Paul Catholic High SchoolNiagara Falls01Open
St. Alfred Catholic Elementary SchoolSt. Catharines01Open
St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Elementary SchoolNiagara Falls01Open
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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