Hamilton students test positive for COVID-19
Hamilton's public and Catholic boards are reporting two new cases of COVID-19 among its schools this week.
One student at Dundas Valley high school and another at Cathedral High School have tested positive for the virus.
The student at Dundas Valley was last in the building on Oct. 19, principal Gail Cipriani wrote in a letter to parents. The Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board was notified of the test result on Monday.
According to Cipriani, Hamilton public health has indicated there are no close student or staff contacts to the case and the student was not in the building when there would be a risk of exposure."
As such, (Hamilton Public Health Services) considers the risk to other students and staff low," said Cipriani.
The student at Cathedral High School was last in the building on Oct. 21 and the case was confirmed to the Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board late Monday afternoon, according to a notice to parents.
Hamilton Public Health Services has indicated that there are no school-related close contacts with this individual and therefore no risk to the school," the letter reads.
Over the weekend, one student at Bishop Ryan Catholic Secondary School, one student at St. John Henry Newman Catholic Secondary School, one student at St. Marguerite d'Youville Catholic Elementary School and one student at Tiffany Hills Elementary School also tested positive for COVID-19.
The student at Tiffany Hills Elementary School was last in the school on Oct. 22 and the board was notified of the case on Sunday.
The case marks the third at the school but in a letter to parents, principal Jane Gerritsen said public health has determined there is no epidemiological link between the cases, and therefore no outbreak will be declared."
Gerritsen added that students and staff members associated with the case have been instructed to self-isolate for 14 days. Public health is handling contact tracing connected to the case.
The student at Bishop Ryan Catholic Secondary School tested positive for the virus on Saturday, according to the board. They were last in the school on Oct. 20.
The student at St. John Henry Newman was last in the building on Oct. 22. It's unclear when the test was confirmed to the board.
The student at St. Marguerite d'Youville Catholic Elementary School was last in the school on Oct. 23. Their case was confirmed by public health on Sunday, according to the board.
As of Tuesday, Hamilton's school boards have reported at least two new cases of COVID-19 this week.
There have been two instances of transmission within a Hamilton school to date - but both outbreaks have been declared over.
Fallon Hewitt is a Hamilton-based reporter at The Spectator. Reach her via email: fhewitt@thespec.com