Huntsville school closed amid COVID-19 outbreak
A Huntsville school is closed, marking Simcoe Muskoka's first school closure due to a COVID-19 outbreak since the start of the pandemic.
In a letter to parents, the Trillium Lakelands District School Board (TLDSB) said the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit "made the difficult decision to temporarily close Spruce Glen Public School."
The closure took effect Wednesday, with students moving to virtual learning for the time being.
According to TLDSB, there have been 24 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 86 per cent of classes affected by the outbreak that was declared on Nov. 22.
The board hopes to reopen the school with a target date of Mon., Dec. 13.
In the meantime, students and staff diagnosed with the virus are required to isolate, and all others are urged to get tested.
A testing clinic has been arranged for Wednesday and Thursday between 9 a.m. and noon at the Active Living Centre on Park Drive in Huntsville.
The SMDHU said several factors are taken into consideration before closing a school.
They include:
- how many individuals in the school have tested positive;
- how many individuals are identified as close contacts;
- how many students and staff attend the school;
- what is the vaccine status of the student population;
- how quickly could the virus spread at the school; and
- what measures are needed to slow transmission?
The health unit also looks at other factors, such as testing rates and capacity, to follow up with contacts.
Spruce Glen has 336 students and 40 staff members.
The SMDHU stressed the importance of daily screening before sending students to school, and if symptoms develop, to self-isolate and get tested.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Fluid in eye cells can 'boil' if you watch the eclipse without protection: expert
Millions of people in parts of Eastern and Atlantic Canada will be able to see the rare solar eclipse happening on April 8. But they should only look up if they have proper eye protection, experts say.
He didn't trust police but sought their help anyway. Two days later, he was dead
Jameek Lowery was among more than 330 Black people who died after police stopped them with tactics that aren’t supposed to be deadly, like physical restraint and use of stun guns, The Associated Press found.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Being harassed at work? What to consider when deciding what to do next
If you've been the victim of workplace harassment, it can be difficult to feel you're not alone - and even more difficult to know where to go with a complaint.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Half of Canadians support TikTok ban, with U.S. concerns 'trickling' north: poll
A new poll indicates 51 per cent of Canadians support banning the social media app TikTok, after a U.S. bill aiming to do just that passed in the House of Representatives.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
More unauthorized products for skin, sexual enhancement, recalled: Here are the recalls of this week
Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency recalled various items this week, including torches, beef biltong and unauthorized products related to skin care and sexual enhancement.