Confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases at École secondaire Macdonald-Cartier
March 14, 2021
March 14th, 2021
Dear parent/guardian/staff:
RE: Confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases at École secondaire Macdonald-Cartier
This letter is to inform you that Public Health Sudbury & Districts has advised us that a confirmed case of COVID-19 has been reported at École secondaire Macdonald-Cartier. The individual is currently self-isolating and being monitored by Public Health Sudbury & Districts while the investigation continues.
As this situation is under active investigation, please continue to check our school or board website for updated information and should you have any questions regarding this information please call the Principal, Brian Phillipow at 705-566-7660 or Conseil scolaire du Grand Nord at 705-671-1533, ext. 2202. At the time of writing, the following classes:
- Grade 7 Group 702
- Grade 7 Group 701
are dismissed up until and including March 24th , 2021:
- Your child must remain home and self-isolate up until and including March 24, 2021 unless otherwise directed by Public Health Sudbury & Districts.
- Your child should seek COVID-19 immediately, and on March 20th. If they are symptomatic or become symptomatic at any time, they should seek testing as soon as possible.
- Even if their test result is negative, they must remain home and self-isolate up until and including March 24, 2021.
- For the duration of your child’s isolation period, everyone else in your household is required to stay home except for essential reasons. Essential reasons include: attending work/school/childcare and essential errands such as groceries, attending medical appointments or picking up prescriptions.
- If your child develops even one symptom of COVID-19, everyone in your household is required to self-isolate until they receive a negative test result or is provided an alternative diagnosis by a healthcare professional. If they are not tested or do not receive an alternate diagnosis, all members of your household must self-isolate as directed by Public Health. Please call 705-522-9200, ext. 524 if you develop any symptoms for additional direction.
Public Health continues to investigate the situation and if any risks to the school community are identified, they may direct additional measures. The situation will be monitored closely, and we will provide timely updates on esmc@grandnord.ca and www.cspgno.ca.
Public Health Sudbury & Districts is working closely with our school to manage the confirmed case. They will notify all parents of children and all school personnel who have been identified as close contacts. If you are not notified by Public Health Sudbury & Districts, please continue to follow the general advice in this letter.
- Simply passing by an infected person in the hallway is not considered close contact, and the risk of spreading the virus this way is extremely low.
- Continue to use the COVID-19 Screening Tool for Children in School and Child Care and https://covid-19.ontario.ca/school-screening/ to monitor your child for symptoms and follow the direction provided.
Remember to follow the critical ongoing COVID-19 prevention measures:
- Wash your hands often with soap and water or alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Sneeze and cough into your sleeve.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth.
- Stay home and isolate if symptoms appear.
- Practice two-meter physical distancing.
- Wear a mask in indoor public spaces and outdoors, especially when physical distancing of two meters cannot be maintained.
It is understandable that this situation may make caregivers anxious and some will choose to keep their child at home as a precaution. Please advise the school if you choose to do this so that we may make arrangements for continued learning when possible.
If you have any questions regarding COVID-19 or the measures taken to address COVID-19, please visit www.phsd.ca/COVID-19 or contact Public Health Sudbury & Districts at 705-522-9200 ext. 524 (toll-free 1-866-522-9200). For information specific to the case and the schools’ response to the situation please call the school at 705-566-7660 or Conseil scolaire du Grand Nord at 705-671-1533, ext. 2202.
Thank you,
Director of Education,
Marc Gauthier