PSA: 5 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 (#209 - #213) and outbreak declared at Central Algoma Secondary School

Mon, Mar 15, 2021

 

Algoma Public Health (APH) is reporting 5 new cases of COVID-19. Four are from Central and East Algoma and one is from Sault Ste. Marie and area.
 
Through contact tracing, Algoma Public Health notifies all close contacts directly. If you are not contacted by Algoma Public Health you are not considered a close contact.

Outbreak declared at Central Algoma Secondary School

Algoma Public Health has also declared an outbreak at Central Algoma Secondary School (Algoma District School Board). 

In accordance with provincial guidance, an outbreak in a school setting is declared when two or more laboratory confirmed cases of COVID-19 are linked and occur within 14 days of each other, and at least one case could have acquired their infection in the school.

 

At this time, grades 9-12 have switched over to virtual learning as of Monday March 15 but the school’s elementary levels (JK-6) and the intermediate levels (7-8) are permitted to remain open for in-person learning. 

All high risk close contacts have been identified by APH and instructions have been provided regarding COVID-19 testing and self-isolation requirements. Working with the school, APH will continue to monitor the situation and outbreak measures may be scaled up or down in response to the risk of transmission in the school and the assessment of outbreak measures that have been implemented.  Please continue to look for updates on your school board website.

 

Details of the confirmed cases: 

Definitions under exposure category:

Unknown exposure means the person did not have recent international travel or close contact with a known confirmed case.  How the person acquired the virus is not known. 

 

Close contact means the person acquired their infection through close contact with a known confirmed case.  For example, living together with a case, or spending more than 15 minutes with a case while less than 2 metres apart, are considered high risk close contact exposures.

 

International travel means the person acquired their infection from travel outside of Canada.

Critical Actions:

• Anyone who is ill, even with mild symptoms, must stay home and self-isolate away from others.
• Stay home as much as possible, and avoid gathering, visiting or having close contact with people you don’t live with.
• As of February 16th - Algoma will be in the Yellow - Protect zone of the provincial framework. Sector-specific public health and workplace safety measures and provincial public health advise for all zones are available here. Certain businesses may open, but with strict preventative measures in place. Due to ongoing risk of transmission, and especially the risk of spread from COVID-19 variants, Ontarians in all zones are still advised to stay home as much as possible, avoid social gatherings, visits or any other close contact with people you do not live with, and avoid travelling between zones except for essential reasons. 
• All returning international travellers must stay home for 14 days.
• Algoma residents who regularly cross the Canada - U.S. border into Sault Ste. Marie and into Chippewa County for essential work should take the following actions even if you are exempt from federal travel and quarantine restrictions
  • Avoid travel except for essential reasons and avoid travelling between zones except for essential reasons
  • Avoid cross-border travel and use virtual options if possible
  • If you become sick, isolate away from others and call to get tested for COVID-19
  • Once back in Algoma, follow provincial public health advice for all Ontarians by staying home as much as possible and not having close contact with people you do not live with, especially vulnerable people who are elderly or have underlying health conditions.
• As of October 2, 2020, the mandatory masking policy was extended to all of Ontario for all indoor settings across the province, such as businesses, facilities and workplaces.
  
  

Learn more:

• View our webpage with updated status of cases in Algoma. 
• Learn more about COVID-19 in Algoma.
• Visit Ontario’s website to learn more about the province’s response to COVID-19.