April 13, 2021

The North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit (Health Unit) has advised us that an individual from the Our Lady of Sorrows School community has tested positive for COVID-19 and was at school during their infectious period. At this time, the Grade 7 and 8 cohort as well as individuals who boarded Allouette Bus Line route #52 are being asked to self-isolate.  The Health Unit has advised that the current situation does not meet the criteria to declare an outbreak.

The Health Unit is working closely with the Nipissing-Parry Sound Catholic District School Board to conduct contact tracing and will advise close contacts on next steps.  Students and staff who are considered a “high-risk contact” have been or will be contacted by the Health Unit.  High-risk contacts must self-isolate away from others immediately and it is recommended they be tested for COVID-19 as soon as possible, regardless of if they have symptoms or not.

All students and staff who are not directly contacted by the health unit have been determined to be  a low-risk contact. A low-risk exposure includes transient interactions such as walking by a person with COVID-19, or briefly being in the same room with a person who has COVID-19. In these situations, the likelihood of transmission of COVID-19 is very low; however self-monitoring for symptoms is recommended. Self-isolation and testing are not recommended for low-risk exposures.

To view the Health Unit's announcement, please visit their website.

If you have any questions, please contact the Health Unit at [email protected] or by calling the Health Unit’s School Call Centre at 1-800-563-2808 and following the prompts. Please note that because of high call volumes to the Health Unit’s vaccine booking centre, phone lines may be busy.

If you think you may have COVID-19 symptoms or have been in close contact with someone who has it, first self-isolate and then use Ontario's Self-Assessment Tool to see if you need to seek further care. If you need further assistance, call your health care provider or the Health Unit at 1-800-563-2808. If you have severe symptoms, such as difficulty breathing, you should call 911 and mention your symptoms.

Please note that the Nipissing-Parry Sound Catholic District School Board and the Health Unit are prohibited from sharing any details with the public that may identify individuals in accordance with the Personal Health Information Protection Act.

We would like to remind all parents and guardians that the Ontario government has announced its decision to close all publicly funded elementary and secondary schools following the April 12-16 spring break.  All schools, therefore, will move to teacher-led remote learning beginning Monday April 19, 2021.  

For the week of April 12-18, voluntary asymptomatic COVID-19 rapid antigen testing continues to be available for students, children and staff. To book an appointment, please call one of the locations from the participating store list:

• No Frills/Loblaws – 12035 Hwy 17, Sturgeon Falls (705) 753-5850

• Shoppers Drug Mart – 66 Josephine Street, North Bay (705) 497-8542

• Shoppers Drug Mart – 276 Lakeshore Drive, North Bay (705) 476-3244

• Shoppers Drug Mart – 2025 Cassells Street, North Bay (705) 474-8200

• Shoppers Drug Mart – 90 Bowes Street, Parry Sound (705) 746-2932

During the spring break only, students and staff will also be able to access voluntary asymptomatic testing at local assessment centres. To book an appointment, visit the Covid-19 Testing Locations website and select “assessment centre” as your location type, with the booking details requested.

We thank all of our parents in advance for your continued support of the recently updated school and child care screening tool and the importance you place on daily self-screening.  Please continue to monitor your email and Edsby accounts for any additional information that may become available.