Algoma Public Health warns parents of high-risk COVID-19 exposure on school bus

Algoma Public Health is warning parents about potential high-risk exposure to COVID-19 on a school bus servicing two elementary schools in Sault Ste. Marie last week. 

Students from Eastview Public School and St. Mary’s French Immersion Catholic School riding Boissoneau Bus Lines’ #4 bus Sept. 9-10 have been identified as high-risk close contacts, according to a letter issued to parents by the health unit Sept. 11.

Algoma Public Health is advising that students who have not been fully vaccinated must isolate and get tested Sept. 17, or get tested immediately should COVID-19 symptoms develop. 

Students are also being asked to self-monitor for symptoms until Sept. 20 and avoid attending social gatherings or having contact with vulnerable individuals. 

The health unit is advising parents that students can return to school if they have been fully vaccinated and display no symptoms. 

“When someone tests positive for COVID-19, Algoma Public Health conducts a thorough investigation to determine the time period when that person was infectious, and would have been able to spread the virus to others,” reads a statement provided to SooToday by Algoma Public Health. “If an individual who tested positive has spent time at school during their communicable period, APH assesses the level of exposure within class cohorts, school buses, and other situations where there may be possibility for exposure such as extra-curricular activities. As part of the investigation, the close contacts are identified and provided with a letter with further instructions and contact numbers for more information.”

There is currently one confirmed case of COVID-19 in a student at St. Mary’s French Immersion Catholic School, according to an Ontario government website.