A person at Port Colborne High School has tested positive for COVID-19 resulting in the closure of one classroom in the school.
This is the second case reported at the school in the last month. The first case was confirmed on Nov. 29 and resulted in the closure of two classrooms. The District School Board of Niagara did not disclose if this case was related to the previous one.
Niagara Region Public Health advised the DSBN today that a person at Port Colborne High School at 211 Elgin Street in Port Colborne has tested positive for COVID-19.
The person has not been identified publically by name. Even though the infection poses a high risk to the public and school communities, as a policy the Niagara Regional Public Health refuses to identify the individual.
They also do not identify whether they are student or staff member citing privacy reasons. The District School Board of Niagara chooses to follow the NRPH privacy policy. Approximately seven days after each infection is reported the status of the individual, whether student or staf, is reported by the province. See this page.
Students and staff who had close contact with the individual are being contacted and told by NRPH to stay home and self-isolate.
The DSBN said custodians will complete a thorough cleaning of the school as required and it advised that a public health inspector and a public health nurse will visit Port Colborne High School to complete a comprehensive assessment.
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 22 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in 20 of its schools, with 14 closed classrooms and 20 resolved cases. All DSBN schools are open.
Niagara Catholic is reporting 35 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with 7 active and 28 resolved, in 17 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
| School | Location | Cases | Closed Classrooms | School Status | Resolved Cases | Who was infected? | |
| Dalewood French Immersion Public School | St. Catharines | 1 | 0 | Open | 1 | To be updated | |
| Diamond Trail Public School | Welland | 1 | 7 | Open | 0 | To be updated | |
| Eden High School | St. Catharines | 2 | 2 | Open | 1 | 1 student, 1 unidentified | |
| E.I. McCulley Public School | St. Catharines | 1 | 0 | Open | 1 | To be updated | |
| Ferndale Public School | St. Catharines | 1 | 0 | Open | 1 | To be updated | |
| Glynn A Green Public School | Pelham | 0 | 1 | Open | 1 | Child at YMCA daycare | |
| Governor Simcoe | St. Catharines | 1 | 0 | Open | 1 | To be updated | |
| Grimsby Secondary School | Grimsby | 1 | 0 | Open | 1 | To be updated | |
| Lincoln Centennial Public School | St. Catharines | 1 | 0 | Open | 1 | To be updated | |
| Martha Cullimore Public School | Niagara Falls | 1 | 1 | Open | 0 | To be updated | |
| Park Public School | Grimsby | 1 | 0 | Open | 1 | To be updated | |
| Port Colborne High School | Port Colborne | 1 | 2 | Open | 0 | To be updated | |
| Port Weller Public School | St. Catharines | 1 | 0 | Open | 1 | To be updated | |
| Prince Philip French Immersion Public School | Niagara Falls | 0 | 0 | Open | 2 | 1 student 2 unknown | |
| Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School | St. Catharines | 1 | 0 | Open | 1 | To be updated | |
| Smith Public School | Grimsby | 1 | 0 | Open | 0 | 1 student case | |
| Stevensville Public School | Stevensville (Fort Erie) | 1 | 0 | Open | 1 | To be updated | |
| Valley Way Public School | Niagara Falls | 1 | 0 | Open | 1 | To be updated | |
| Welland Eastdale Secondary School | Welland | 3 | 0 | Open | 3 | To be updated | |
| Westdale Public School | St. Catharines | 1 | 1 | Open | 1 | To be updated | |
| William Hamilton Merritt Public School | St. Catharines | 1 | 0 | Open | 1 | To be updated |
Niagara Catholic School Board
| School | Location | Active Cases | Resolved Cases | Closure Status | Who was infected? |
| Blessed Trinity Catholic Secondary School | Grimsby | 0 | 1 | Open | Province not listing yet |
| Canadian Martyrs Catholic Elementary School | St. Catharines | 0 | 2 | Open | Province not listing yet |
| Holy Cross Catholic Secondary School | St. Catharines | 0 | 2 | Open | Province not listing yet |
| Lakeshore Catholic High School | Port Colborne | 0 | 1 | Open | Province not listing yet |
| Mary Ward Catholic Elementary School | Niagara Falls | 0 | 1 | Open | Province not listing yet |
| Notre Dame College School | Welland | 0 | 1 | Open | To be updated |
| Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Elementary School | Niagara Falls | 0 | 3 | Open | To be updated |
| St. Alfred Catholic Elementary School | St. Catharines | 0 | 2 | Open | To be updated |
| St. Andrew Catholic Elementary School | Welland | 0 | 1 | Open | To be updated |
| St. Charles Catholic Elementary School | Thorold | 0 | 1 | Open | 1 staff member |
| St. Elizabeth Catholic Elementary | Wainfleet | ? | ? | Open | 1 staff member (Ontario govt reporting) |
| St. James Catholic Elementary School | St. Catharines | 0 | 2 | Open | 2 students |
| St. Martin Catholic Elementary School | Smithville | 7 | 3 | Open | 4 students, 4 staff, 2 unidentified |
| St. Mary Catholic Elementary School | Niagara Falls | 0 | 2 | Open | To be updated |
| St. Michael Catholic High School | Niagara Falls | 0 | 3 | Open | To be updated |
| St. Paul Catholic High School | Niagara Falls | 0 | 1 | Open | |
| St. Theresa Catholic Elementary School | St. Catharines | 0 | 1 | Open | 1 staff members |
| St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Elementary School | Niagara Falls | 0 | 1 | Open | To be updated |
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).