3 more cases linked to COVID-19 outbreak at Pembroke school

Three people who are neither students nor staff at Fellowes High School in Pembroke, Ont., have tested positive for COVID-19.

The new cases arenevertheless connected to the outbreak that closed the school last week, according to local health officials. It was the first school in Ontario to closesince classes resumed.

The three newcases were discovered through contact tracing, according to a news release issued Wednesday by theRenfrew County and District Health Unit, which said each of the three had beenidentified as a "high-risk contact."

So far, four staff members and a student at the school have tested positivefor COVID-19. Fellowes High Schoolhas650 students and about 55 employees.

The health unit saidthere were no other positive test resultsamong students orstaff Wednesday.

In an email to CBC, the health unit explained that it's asking people to finish two weeks of self-isolation even if they got a negative test result because symptoms can take up to that long to show up in some cases.

"A larger number of staff, studentsand close contacts had been identified as potential exposures," the health unit wrote. "For the safety of all residents, and to contain the spread, it is imperative that all staff, students and close contacts remain in self-isolation until the 14 days ... are completed."