3 new school-related COVID-19 cases in Hamilton, more in Brantford, Burlington and Niagara

Hamilton has three new confirmed school-related COVID-19 cases and one probable case of the virus.

Niagara also has one more positive case since Wednesday morning.

The new Hamilton cases include people in the city's public board and the Catholic board.

A student at Huntington Park Elementary School, part of the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board, tested positive for the virus yesterday.

A letter to families from Principal Pat Petruccelli says the student was last in the building on Oct. 1.

"As a precautionary measure, the cohort of students and staff members associated with this case will receive instruction from Hamilton Public Health Services (HPHS) to not attend school for a 14-day period. There was no impact to the child care program offered by Today's Family," Petruccelli's message said.

There is also a staff member at Frank Panabaker Elementary School (the north campus) with COVID-19. 

Principal Jenny Seto-Vanderlip's letter to families said the employee was last in the building on Oct. 2.

"As part of the contact tracing process, HPHS is in contact with individuals who may have been exposed. Students and/or staff who may have been exposed have been made aware. As a precautionary measure, the students and staff associated with this case have received instruction from HPHS," her message said.

There's also a probable student case of COVID-19 at Sir Allan MacNab Secondary School.

"Out of an abundance of caution, HPHS is treating this case in a similar manner to that of a positive case, pending test results," read a message from Principal Gregory Clark.

"The suspected case was last in the building on Oct. 2."

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At Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board, a staff member at St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Elementary School has COVID-19. There are few details about the case, but it was posted to the board's website on Wednesday.

The board says the staff member was not in contact with anyone at the school and public health says there's no risk to the school community.

Someone at St. John's College School in Brantford has COVID-19. Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board says it found out about the positive test late Wednesday.

"This individual has been directed by the health unit to self-isolate for 14 days. Proactively, the impacted class was also contacted and is not at school today. Anyone deemed a close contact by Public Health will also be asked to self-isolate for 14 days," read a letter from Principal Greg Picone.

The school is still open.

There's also a positive novel coronavirus case in a student at Burlington Central Elementary — the Grade 7 and 8 program that is within the Burlington Central High School. 

"There is an exposure risk related to this case and a cohort of high risk close contacts has been identified by Halton Region Public Health," read an email from Marnie Denton, Halton District School Board's spokesperson. 

"This group has already been notified by public health to self-isolate at home and not attend school."

At Niagara Catholic District School Board, someone at Blessed Trinity Catholic Secondary School has tested positive for the virus.

The board says the infected individual has not been in the school since Sept. 30, so public health says there is no risk of transmission to the school community.

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