Outbreak declared as Niagara Falls elementary school reports three COVID-19 cases; One more at St Catharines school

Outbreak declared at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Elementary School in Niagara Falls

An outbreak has been declared by Niagara Regional Public Health at a Niagara Falls Catholic elementary school. A new case at a Catholic elementary school in St. Catharines was also reported today.

Niagara Region Public Health has declared an outbreak at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic
Elementary School in Niagara Falls after two new cases were confirmed at the school today. That’s three for the school. The first was declared on Sept 30. Two cases were identified in one classroom. Another case was reported for an individual in another classroom.

Besides the two new cases at Our Lady of Mount Carmel, another new COVID-19 case was also reported today at St. Alfred Catholic Elementary School in St. Catharines, a Niagara Catholic advisory said.

For privacy reasons, the identities of the infected individuals are shared by NPRH or the school board.

NRPH will contact students at the affected school if they need to self isolate.

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 eight confirmed cases of COVID-19 in six of its schools, with 12 closed classrooms. All DSBN schools are open.

Niagara Catholic is reporting eight confirmed cases of COVID-19, with five active and three resolved, in six of its schools. All Niagara Catholic schools are open.

COVID-19 in West Niagara schools

There is one COVID-19 case reported at Park Public School, a DSBN school, in Grimsby.

Detailed data as follows for each school board :

District School Board of Niagara

SchoolLocationCasesClosed ClassroomsSchool Status
Eden High SchoolSt. Catharines11Open
Ferndale Public SchoolSt. Catharines13Open
Park Public SchoolGrimsby11Open
Sir Winston Churchill Secondary SchoolSt. Catharines11Open
Welland Eastdale Secondary SchoolWelland35Open
William Hamilton Merritt Public SchoolSt. Catharines11Open
Source: District School Board of Niagara

Niagara Catholic School Board

SchoolLocationActive CasesResolved CasesClosure Status
Canadian Martyrs Catholic Elementary SchoolSt. Catharines0 1Open
Holy Cross Catholic Secondary SchoolSt. Catharines0 1Open
Mary Ward Catholic Elementary SchoolNiagara Falls0 1Open
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Elementary SchoolNiagara Falls30Open
St. Alfred Catholic Elementary SchoolSt. Catharines10Open
St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Elementary SchoolNiagara Falls10Open
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).