COVID-19 outbreak declared at school in Callander, Ont.
A COVID-19 outbreak has been declared at a Callander elementary school after two kids from the same classroom were infected.
North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit has declared the outbreak at St. Theresa Catholic Elementary School after a second student tested positive for COVID-19 on Nov. 18.
"The health unit was made aware of the first individual who tested positive for COVID-19 on Nov. 16," the health unit said in a news release Friday morning. "At that time, all parents and guardians were made aware, and the class was dismissed."
All families of children who rode on East Ferris Bus Lines route 203 were contacted and that is when the second student was found to be infected.
Families with children on route 245 were then contacted and advised of the next steps.
"Parents/guardians of individuals who attend the childcare program at YMCA St. Theresa site have also been contacted and been dismissed," the health unit said.
Because of the age of the students at the school, many are not yet eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine. The federal government is expected to make an announcement Friday about vaccinations for children ages five to 11.
"We continue to work with St. Theresa Elementary School and the Nipissing-Parry Sound Catholic District School Board and thank them both for their quick response," Dr. Jim Chirico, the North Bay area medical officer of health said.
This is the third active outbreak in the Nipissing District, with the other two involving long-term care and retirement homes.
As of Thursday at 3 p.m., there are 23 active COVID-19 infections in the Nipissing and Parry Sound districts, with 21 in Nipissing alone.
The area has recorded a total of 883 COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began, 852 have been resolved and eight people have died. There is just one person with COVID-19 currently hospitalized in the district.
Of the residents in the district that are eligible for the vaccine, 83.6 per cent have been fully vaccinated and 87.2 have at least one dose.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.