COVID-19 outbreak declared at Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Elementary in Hamilton

Hamilton public health has declared an outbreak at Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Elementary School.

It's the city's first COVID-19 outbreak in a school.

Calling it an outbreak means at least two confirmed cases are connected in some way or that a link can't be ruled out.

In this case, two staff members are infected. The first case came on Friday, when an employee at the school tested positive for the virus. An employee who was at school on Friday tested positive last yesterday.

The school is located on Hamilton Avenue on the Mountain.

Dr. Elizabeth Richardson, the city's medical officer of health, said on Tuesday that kids don't normally spread COVID-19.

"It's more so spread among teachers, adults in the school or older kids," she said.

"This is the first time we've seen transmission we think might have actually occurred in the school setting."

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There are eight new COVID-19 cases in local schools as of Tuesday, including two people at Brock University who have the virus.

"In one case, the person hasn't been on campus since Friday, Oct. 2. In the other, the person was last on campus on Monday, Oct. 5," read a release from the school.

"The university's protocols have been followed and areas of campus where the individuals visited have been cleaned and sanitized. Public health is responsible for contact tracing and case management."

There are no other details about the cases right now, including if the infected individuals are staff members or students.

Someone at Niagara College (Niagara-on-the-Lake campus) has COVID-19. The school said it learned of the case on Oct. 10.

"The individual is currently in self-isolation as directed by Niagara Region Public Health, and last attended the Daniel J. Patterson campus in Niagara-on-the-Lake on Monday, Oct. 5," read the release.

It also noted the infected individual passed the daily online health assessment required to be on campus.

Local public health has been contact tracing for anyone who may have been potentially exposed.

4 elementary school cases

A staff member at Shannen Koostachin Elementary School with limited contact to students has the virus.

A letter from principal Julie Anderson says the employee was last in the school on Oct. 7. Anderson says the school learned of the positive test result on Oct. 12.

"Hamilton Public Health Services (HPHS) is conducting their investigation and they will provide more information with us as updates become available," reads the letter.

Someone at St. Paul Catholic Elementary School in Burlington has tested positive for the virus. The school says it learned of the case on Oct. 9

"Halton Public Health have identified the close contacts who are at risk of exposure, and they were notified on Friday. The individual and a cohort of close contacts have been directed by public health to self-isolate," reads a message to families.

There's no other information about the case right now, including whether the infected individual is a student or staff member and when they were last in the building.

A student at Bishop Tonnos Catholic Secondary School has tested positive for COVID-19. The student was last in the school on Wednesday, Sept. 30.

Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board says HPHS confirmed the result late Friday, but says there are no school-related contacts with this individual and therefore no risk to the school.

Canadian Martyrs Catholic Elementary School in the Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board has its first case of the virus.

The staff member was last in the school on Oct. 2. The board was notified of the case on Oct. 9. Like the new case at Tonnos, there's also no risk to the school.

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