Contact tracing is underway at Central Collegiate High School in Moose Jaw after a person in a classroom tested positive for the novel coronavirus, according to the school.
Principal Stephane Gauvin confirmed the positive COVID-19 case in a letter sent out to parents and guardians on Saturday, which was obtained by Global News.
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“The school and the school division are working closely with public health staff to ensure necessary measures are in place to protect all students and staff,” the letter says.
Public health will be contacting parents, guardians and students along with staff, visitors and volunteers who may have been in close contact with the case, says Central Collegiate.
“If you do not hear from them, your child has likely not been exposed because of the measures that are in place at the school,” the letter said.
Staff and students are being reminded to stay at home if they have minor symptoms.
This is the second COVID-19 case identified within the Prairie South School Division and the second within Moose Jaw in a week.
Earlier this week, someone associated with Prince Arthur Community School tested positive for COVID-19.
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On Thursday, the province’s chief medical health officer, Dr. Saqib Shahab, said the best way to prevent cases in schools is to prevent community transmission.
As of Sunday, Saskatchewan has 1,959 cases of COVID-19, 965 of which are linked to community transmission. There are 296 cases that are travel-related, 567 have no known exposure and 131 remain under investigation.
Since schools reopened, cases have been linked to at least 14 schools, Shahab said on Thursday. This includes Yorkton Regional High School and Saskatoon’s Holy Cross High School, two facilities where outbreaks have been declared.
Questions about COVID-19? Here are some things you need to know:
Symptoms can include fever, cough and difficulty breathing — very similar to a cold or flu. Some people can develop a more severe illness. People most at risk of this include older adults and people with severe chronic medical conditions like heart, lung or kidney disease. If you develop symptoms, contact public health authorities.
To prevent the virus from spreading, experts recommend frequent handwashing and coughing into your sleeve. They also recommend minimizing contact with others, staying home as much as possible and maintaining a distance of two metres from other people if you go out. In situations where you can’t keep a safe distance from others, public health officials recommend the use of a non-medical face mask or covering to prevent spreading the respiratory droplets that can carry the virus. In some provinces and municipalities across the country, masks or face coverings are now mandatory in indoor public spaces.
For full COVID-19 coverage from Global News, click here.