The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit has directed the English Catholic school board to dismiss a class due to a positive COVID-19 case.
The Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board (WECDSB) announced Wednesday afternoon that it had sent one class of students home from St. Joseph Catholic Elementary School in River Canard after one student tested positive for the virus. River Canard straddles the Towns of LaSalle and Amherstburg.
Board spokesman Stephen Fields said the students will not be permitted to return to the building until given the all-clear by the health unit.
"We have been working with the health unit by providing lists of students and staff who may have been directly affected," said Fields in an email to WindsorNewsToday.ca. "The health unit is contacting any individuals, both students and staff, who may have been affected, and will give directions for them to follow."
Parents are being asked to monitor their children for symptoms, and if they feel ill, keep them home and contact their health care provider for further instructions.
This is the second active class at St. Joseph sent home due to a positive COVID-19 test. All other classes can report on Thursday as usual.
As of Wednesday evening, the WECDSB had 11 active student cases spanning five schools. Five of them are at St. Gabriel Catholic Elementary in Windsor, which is the board's only school that is under an outbreak protocol.
At the Greater Essex County District School Board, there are currently 28 active student cases and two involving staff members. The GECDSB does not disclose the number of students dismissed.
