EDue to the discovery of a case of COVID-19 among its students, the Séminaire Sainte-Marie closes access to its school until April 16 inclusively. The management of this private school was informed on Sunday that a junior high school student had tested positive.
Public health now considers any new positive case to be a variant case, which resulted in the closure of the infected student’s class until April 15. But the management decided to close access to the school for two weeks. The teaching will be done remotely for all 215 students.
“We are closing in case we have more damage,” explains the general manager, Jean-Sébastien Roy. We were one of the lucky ones, we hadn’t had anything yet. With variants, you don’t take a chance. Instead of waiting for two, three, four other cases, we close. “
There are 28 students in the class where a case has been detected. All these young people should be tested, as well as teachers, supervisors and other staff who have come into contact with this class. We are talking about ten staff members. This is without counting the families of the students in this class who are affected. We must also look at school transport.
“In the case of the Séminaire Sainte-Marie, there is a positive case and the contacts were isolated in a preventive manner. It remains to be seen whether the positive case is a variant. So the test is passed to screening. If it is positive, you have to take the test at the public health laboratory to find out the type of variants, to find out if it is an enhanced variant: British, Brazilian, South African and Nigerian ”, explains Guillaume Cliche, agent. information from the Integrated University Health and Social Services Center of Mauricie and Center-du-Québec.
Mr. Cliche confirms that three cases of COVID-19 have been observed since this weekend at Jean-Nicolet high school. Curé-Brassard elementary school also has three cases of COVID-19.
“The same protocol applies. All people in contact with the student must take a screening test, ”continues Mr. Cliche, who does not know the number of people affected by the application of these protocols.
At both the Du Rocher school and the Chavigny school, there is a case of COVID-19. According to Radio-Canada Mauricie, the protocol will result in the preventive withdrawal of 100 people in Du Rocher and 70 people in Chavigny.
Guillaume Cliche explains that if a positive case for COVID-19 is a variant, all contacts must continue in isolation for 14 days, even if people have received a negative result from their screening test.
“It will take another negative test before returning to activities,” said the spokesperson.
If the COVID-19 case is not a variant case, people who have been in contact with the infected person must test negative to then resume their activities while remaining vigilant about the onset of symptoms.
By deciding to close access to the school, the management of the SSM is bringing back third, fourth and fifth secondary students to distance education, which will be a novelty for levels 1 and 2.
“Our proofs are made for distance learning. It is not for eight days that we will penalize the students. The students have their connection, their computer. Homework help and follow-up are done remotely. We’re ready to fire! And we prefer to be too careful than not enough, ”says Roy.
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