Positive COVID-19 case at local high school

The Near North District School Board has sent out a memo to parents and guardians of Chippewa secondary school students Sunday informing them of a positive COVID-19 case in the high school. 

"The Near North District School Board has been informed that a member of the school community at Chippewa Secondary School has tested positive for COVID-19," the Board stated in an email Sunday afternoon.  

The North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit is currently conducting an investigation. 

"The NNDSB is working closely with the Health Unit to provide information about staff and students for contact tracing (e.g. attendance records, class lists, contact information for parents, etc…)," the memo continued.  

The Health Unit stated in its release that it is known that the individual is a close contact of another positive COVID-19 case in our district and there is no evidence to suggest that this case was exposed at school. At this time there is no outbreak at the school.

“Our staff are working with the school to provide important public health direction,” said Dr. Jim Chirico Medical Officer of Health. “The Health Unit will be contacting close contacts of the case to provide further direction on isolation requirements and testing”.

The news comes on the same day that the Nipissing Parry Sound District Health Unit announced two new positive cases in the region including an individual 19 or under and another aged 40 to 59. The Health Unit says they were infected through "close contact to a case" and are both self-isolating.  

The Board adds that it cannot reveal the name of the infected individual.  

"Please note that the School Board and the Health Unit are prohibited from sharing any details with the public that may identify individuals in accordance with the Personal Health Information Protection Act," the memo continued.  

"The health unit is currently in the process of contacting close contacts of the case to provide further direction on isolation and testing requirements.  A close contact is anyone who was in the cases' cohort, attending extracurricular activities, childcare, or rode on the bus with the case.  Close contacts will be required to self-isolate for a period of 14-days from the last exposure to the positive case." 

The Board adds that all students and staff who are not directly contacted by the health unit have been determined to have had a low-risk exposure to the case of COVID-19. 

"A low-risk exposure includes transient interactions such as walking by a person with COVID-19, or briefly being in the same room with a person who has COVID-19," noted the memo.  

"In these situations, the likelihood of transmission of COVID-19 is very low; however self-monitoring for symptoms is recommended.  Self-isolation and testing is not recommended for low-risk exposures. In consultation with the health unit the decision has been made to keep the school open, as the risk of transmission of COVID-19 to staff and students is very low at this time.  Custodial staff will be conducting enhanced cleaning of the school and ensure that all staff and student areas have been thoroughly disinfected."

Anyone with questions or concerns can contact the North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit at 1-800-563-2808.