Coronavirus shuts down Ecole St-Denis until Jan. 29

Cases of COVID-19 continue to cropup in northeastern schools, including two in Sudbury and one in Sault Ste. Marie.

Parents of students in a senior kindergarten/Grade 1 class at St. David's Catholic elementary school in Sudbury were told their children should stay home.

In a letter issued to parents on Sunday, Sudbury Catholic District School Board Director of Education, Joanne Benard, says the person with the confirmed case of the novel coronavirus is self-isolating, and public health officials will notify the parents of anyone considered a close contact.

Benard also noted all students in the class should self-isolate until Jan. 29 and get tested for the virus as soon as possible.

"It's understandable that this situation may make caregivers anxious," she said, adding thatparents of children in other classes should notify the school if they choose to keep their youngsters at home.

Over at Ecole St-Denis in Sudbury, aCOVID-19 outbreak has been declared after two people tested positive.

Public Health Sudbury and Districts says an outbreak is declared when "two or more laboratory confirmed cases of COVID-19 are linked and occur within 14 days of each other."

Several classes are impacted including Pre-Kindergarten/Kindergarten B, Pre-Kindergarten/Kindergarten C, Grade 2A, Grade 2B, Grade 3 A and the morning elementary bus route L-800.

The board says the school and the daycare that operates inside will be closed until Jan. 29.

Teacher Shelley Beneteau, who also has two children at the school, says she's worried about the unknowns in this situation.

She says her children don't qualify for testing because they aren't showing any symptoms andthe 'what-ifs' are keeping her up.

"It's constantly running through your mind and the more you think about it or, I find, the more anxious you become and you start worrying about other facets in your life," she said.

"It's kind of like a snowball going downhill gathering speed. You wonder if it's going to hit something."

Beneteau's12-year-old son Julian says he worries about his school-mates getting sick, but says he's not concerned about going back to class when it's safe to do so.

Over in Sault Ste. Marie, aperson associatedwith R.M. Moore Public Schoolhas also tested positive for the virus.

Algoma Public Health has investigated and notified anyoneconsidered to be a close contact.