Confirmed COVID-19 case at École secondaire Macdonald-Cartier

March 9^th, 2021

Dear parent/guardian:

RE: Confirmed COVID-19 case 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 in our school. 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 class is dismissed up until and including March 19^th, 2021:

• Grade 7 Group 703

In order to ensure the physical safety of all Grades 7 and 8 students, students will have to switch to virtual teaching mode until March 19^th, 2021. All students, except for students from Group 703 who are in quarantine, are invited to drop by the school during the day of March 10 to pick up their personal belongings (chromebooks, books, notebooks, binders). Students will have to go through the office before going to the 3^rd floor. Parents of class 703 are invited to contact the school to make an appointment if they need to collect their child’s personal belongings.

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.

• Your child should seek COVID-19 testing between March 12 – 14, 2021. In addition to this, if they are symptomatic or become symptomatic at any time, they should seek testing as soon as possible.
• Even if they receive a negative test result, they must remain home and self-isolate up until and including March 19, 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.
• The isolating individual must self-isolate away from other household members. Note that if the isolating individual is young and/or cannot isolate apart from other household members, one identified parent or caregiver must also isolate with the individual away from other household members
• 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 705-566-7660 or Conseil scolaire du Grand Nord at 705-671-1533, ext. 2202.

Thank you,

Director of Education,

Marc Gauthier

• Confirmed COVID-19 case at École secondaire Macdonald-Cartier