Nineteen schools in region reporting active COVID-19 cases

WELLINGTON COUNTY – Nineteen schools in the Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health (WDGPH) region, including two in Wellington County, are reporting active COVID-19 cases.

An outbreak at JD Hogarth Public School in Fergus, declared by public health on Feb. 21, is no longer included on the WDGPH outbreak list, though there remains one active case at the school.

On March 2, the UGDSB was also reporting student cases at 13 other schools:

  • Arbour Vista Public School in Guelph, one case, all classrooms open;
  • Westwood Public School in Guelph, three cases, two classrooms closed;
  • Princess Elizabeth Public School in Orangeville, one case, all classrooms open;
  • Westminster Woods Public School in Guelph, one case, one classroom closed;
  • GCVI secondary school in Guelph, two cases, two cohorts closed;
  • John Galt Public School in Guelph, two cases, two classrooms closed;
  • Kortright Hills Public School in Guelph, one case, one classroom closed;
  • Rickson Ridge Public School in Guelph, one case, one classroom closed;
  • Harris Mill Public School in Rockwood, one case, one classroom closed;
  • Continuing education in Guelph, one case, one cohort closed;
  • ODSS high school in Orangeville, one case, all cohorts open;
  • Brant Avenue Public School, one case, one classroom closed; and
  • College Heights Secondary School in Guelph, one case, one classroom closed

As of March 2, there were four Guelph schools in the Wellington District Catholic School Board reporting active cases:

  • St. Peter Catholic Elementary School, three cases, three classrooms closed;
  • St. Francis Catholic Elementary School, one case, one classroom closed;
  • Bishop Macdonell Catholic High School, one case, two cohorts closed; and
  • St. Joseph Catholic Elementary School, one case, all classrooms open.

Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board is reporting three student cases at St. Benedict Catholic Elementary School in Orangeville. The school was closed temporarily because seven teachers had to self-isolate as a precaution.

Across Ontario, 640 schools currently have active COVID-19 cases and 23 schools are closed due to outbreaks.

Locally, students returned to in-class instruction on Feb. 8 after five weeks of online learning due to the province-wide lockdown and stay-at-home order.

Since then 27 schools in the WDGPH region have reported cases of COVID-19.

Prior to the Christmas break, a total of 53 schools and five child care facilities in the region had reported cases since September.