COVID-19 outbreak declared at southwest London elementary school | CBC News

The Middlesex-London Health Unit (MLHU) has declared a COVID-19 outbreak at École élémentaire La Pommeraie after four people tested positive for the virus. It’s the first outbreak at a local school since children returned to in-class learning.

The first case at the southwest London, Ont., school was reported by the health unit on Sept. 10. There were two additional cases reported on Sept. 14 and 15. Contact tracing shows the latest case reported Friday was contracted through a close contact at the school.

The health unit says the latest person to test positive for COVID-19 was in isolation at home and did not attend school while they were communicable. The school will not be closed, but staff and students in the classrooms where there was a case or close contact are being told to stay home and isolate.

“Because the close contacts of the cases who attend La Pommeraie are currently in isolation and not attending classes, there is no need for further action by staff or students, other than to monitor themselves for the development of symptoms,” says Dr. Chris Mackie, Medical Officer of Health with the MLHU.

“Because most children who attend elementary schools are too young to be vaccinated themselves, the best thing we can do to  protect them is to make sure the people they spend time with have already been vaccinated.”

There have now been 27 cases of COVID-19 at schools in the region, along with two cases at child care centres so far in September. 

For more information on getting vaccinated against COVID-19, visit the MLHU’s website.