SUDBURY -- Sudbury public health has declared a COVID-19 outbreak at Marymount Academy Tuesday after a second person tested positive for the disease, marking the third local school with an outbreak.
The Sudbury Catholic District School Board suspended all classes at Marymount, as well as Pius XII, also experiencing an outbreak, on Tuesday in order to review health and safety protocols.
There are currently five schools within the Sudbury Catholic board that have at least one case of COVID-19: St. David has 13 cases, St. Albert Adult Learning Centre has one, Piux XII has three, Marymount has two, and St. Charles College also has two.
"Classes are expected to resume Wednesday, Jan. 27," the school board said in a letter to families on Monday. "Please monitor the school and board websites for more information."
On Monday, everyone in Grade 7B was ordered to self-isolate until Feb. 5 and told to get tested for COVID-19.
Four secondary school bus routes have also been identified as possible exposure risks: morning routes N461 and N60 as well as afternoon routes N60 and NW 464.
"Individuals who are identified as close contacts of a case in a school setting will be directly contacted by Public Health Sudbury & Districts. Public Health will call these parents or guardians, as well as employees, to provide direction," the health unit said.
As of Monday at 4 p.m., there are 77 active cases of COVID-19 in the Sudbury and Manitoulin Districts after 12 new infections were confirmed. Since Christmas Eve, there have been 207 new cases confirmed, an increase of 45 per cent, and 133 cases resolved, including five COVID-related deaths.
Because many school bus routes service several schools, Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School sent a letter to parents Tuesday morning advising families of a possible COVID exposure risk to students on morning bus route N461.
"Public Health Sudbury & Districts advised the Sudbury Student Services Consortium late (Monday) night that a student from Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School on one shared bus route is required to self-isolate to and including Feb. 5. This is due to a possible exposure to COVID-19 not related to the school or Rainbow District School Board," Norm Blaseg, the director of education for the Rainbow school board said. "There is no confirmed case of COVID-19 at Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School or Rainbow District School Board at this time."
Blaseg said the morning secondary route N461 is cancelled and affected families and the school bus driver have been notified.