Hamilton schools report eight new COVID-19 cases

Eight more people associated with Hamilton schools have tested positive for COVID-19.

Three students at Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Elementary School, one student at Sir Allan MacNab Secondary School, one student at Saltfleet District High School, and three staff members at Glendale Secondary School and Highview Elementary School tested positive in the past week, though none of the cases appear to have been transmitted within the school.

The three students at Sacred Heart were last in the building on Oct. 9 and pose no risk to the school community," principal Kevin Mielko said in a letter to families sent on Sunday.

The positive test results were confirmed on Sunday.

Mielko said there are no school-related close contacts.

The health, safety and well-being of our students and staff is always a priority concern for our school and school board, but is especially important as we return to classroom learning during the global pandemic," wrote Mielko.

Sacred Heart was the site of Hamilton's first COVID-19 outbreak at a school after two staff members were infected last week.

The school remains open, though two classrooms have been closed as of Monday.

At Sir Allan MacNab, the classmates associated with a case have been asked to stay home for two weeks. The student was last in the building on Oct. 13. Hamilton public health will reach out to close contacts, the school said on its website.

At Saltfleet, the student with COVID-19 last attended on Oct. 2 and there are no close contacts of the case.

A staff member at Glendale who tested positive was most recently in the school on Oct. 6.

Principal Barry Smith says there are no student or staff close contacts.

A bus driver associated with Glendale also tested positive. Their results were shared with the board on Monday, Smith said.

The Highview staff member was last in the elementary school on Oct. 16. The board was notified two days later that the person tested positive.

Some students and staff have been directed to self-isolate and monitor for symptoms, the school told families in a latter.

As of Tuesday, the province had listed 34 cases of COVID-19 relating to Hamilton's schools.

The vast majority of these cases have been transmitted outside the school setting. There have been two instances of transmission within a Hamilton school to date.

Jacob Lorinc's reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative. The funding allows him to report on stories about education.