February 09, 2021

COVID-19 associated with Grey Highlands Secondary School

The Grey Bruce Health Unit is working with Bluewater District School Board to address a probable case of COVID-19 associated with Grey Highlands Secondary School in municipality of Grey Highlands, Ontario.

While there is an individual considered a probable case of COVID-19 associated with this school, the Public Health assessment, to date, indicates there is no evidence that transmission took place within the school environment. Currently there are no outbreaks (i.e. evidence of transmission from person to person) in any schools or childcare centres in Grey Bruce. No bus routes of any schools are involved with this case.

Public Health is the lead in all outbreaks and case management. Public Health will contact you if you have had close contact with someone who has COVID-19, based on a thorough risk assessment completed only by Public Health.

Determining who has had close contact is a decision that can only be made by Public Health. Anyone at heightened risk of COVID-19 transmission due to close contact to a person with COVID-19 will be contacted by Public Health within 24 hours of the investigation.

Those not contacted by Public Health need not take any additional steps including asymptomatic testing.

The Grey Bruce Health Unit will direct those considered at risk regarding testing requirements and recommendations (e.g., timing). There is no value in anyone being tested before they are notified and instructed to do so by Public Health. Results of early testing are unreliable and place individuals at risk of more testing than is required.

In this situation, the individual with COVID-19 has been contacted directly by the COVID-19 Case and Contact Management Team. Working with the client and Bluewater District School Board, we have identified any others, both in and out of the school environment, who may have been exposed to determine their level of risk.

All contact tracing and determination of individual and community risk is made by Public Health. This is true of all cases, whether in schools, workplaces or the community. A health care provider or school official cannot make this decision.

 

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