Only 4 active COVID-19 outbreaks in Hamilton schools

Hamilton | COVID | Education | Health |

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Published October 14, 2021 at 11:18 pm

New COVID-19 case counts and the number of outbreaks in Hamilton schools are trending in a positive direction.

It is likely too early to tell whether there will be a Thanksgiving bump since the holiday weekend ended only three days ago. However, as of Thursday, Hamilton Public Health was listing only four active school outbreaks. Three were in the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board (HWDSB), one was in a French-language elementary school and there were none within the Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board (HWDCSB).

A handful of cases among HWDSB students were reported during the Thanksgiving weekend, but there have only been four new cases associated with the board over the last three days. One staff member apiece at Helen Detwiler Elementary School and Mount Hope Elementary School has contracted the virus.

In the Catholic board, the HWCSDB did not report any new cases on Thursday. Its only new cases since the long weekend involved a pair of students at St. Luke elementary, whose cases were disclosed on Wednesday. The board also says it has 18 active cases among students.

The most recent HWCDSB school to be in an outbreak was St. John the Baptist. Its outbreak was declared over on Wednesday.

The elementary school outbreaks are at Holbrook, Huntington Park, Tapleytown and École élémentaire catholique monseigneur-de-laval. (French-language Catholic schools are part of a different school board.)

COVID-19 cases in schools typically involve a student or staff member self-reporting symptoms after a daily screening. Public schools have yet to receive access to rapid antigen tests from the ministries of Health and Education, so it is possible that asymptomatic students could transmit the virus.

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