Two Christian schools in Hamilton have COVID-19 outbreaks

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Published November 1, 2021 at 11:31 pm

Two private Christian elementary schools in Hamilton are facing COVID-19 outbreaks, while there is only one linked to a public school.

The city’s COVID-19 pages shows there are seven active outbreaks in Hamilton. One that was declared on Sunday (Oct. 31) is linked with Oak Hill Academy in Ancaster. It involves five cases (four students, one staff member).

An outbreak linked to Providence Christian School, which includes four student cases, was declared last Saturday (Oct. 30).

The cases would not have necessarily been transmitted in the schools. They may have been transmitted elsewhere in the community. As it stands, the two schools’ combined nine active cases are one more than the entire Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board (HWCSDB) reported on Monday.

Both Oak Hill and Providence are elementary schools with students ranging in age from four to 14. Only children who will be at least 12 years old by Dec. 31 are eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.

Oak Hill’s website does not appear to include a COVID-19 advisory page that lists affected classrooms. The school opened in 2018.

Providence’s COVID-19 page says it has closed four classrooms and six cohorts, but remains open.

When there is a COVID-19 outbreak in a school, children in the affected classes or secondary school cohorts are switched to remote learning.

The only other school-related outbreak is at Orchard Park Secondary School. It was declared on Oct. 20.

Outbreaks at Living Hope Christian School and Sir Wilfrid Laurier Elementary School have also been declared over by the public health unit.

The aforementioned HWCDSB has eight active cases. Only one has been reported in the last three days. A staff member at St. John Paul II Catholic Elementary School was confirmed as having the virus on Monday, but had not been in class since Oct. 18.

The Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board (HWDSB) reported two cases on Monday, both in students who attend Viola Desmond Elementary School. That same school also had a student case that was confirmed on Sunday.

 

 

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