February 11, 2021

COVID-19 associated with Ethnos Academy in Durham

Photo: Google

 

The Grey Bruce Health Unit is working with Ethnos Academy to address a case of COVID-19 associated with the private school in Durham, Ontario.

While there is an individual with COVID-19 associated with this school, the Public Health assessment, to date, indicates there is no evidence the 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.

In this situation, the person with COVID-19 has been contacted directly by the Grey Bruce Health Unit COVID-19 Case and Contact Management Team. We have worked with the individuals and the school, and have identified all others, both in and out of the school environment, who may have been exposed and have determined their risk level. All individuals that need to be notified have already been contacted.

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

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.

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.

As a reminder to the general public, if you develop symptoms consistent with COVID-19, please proceed to your nearest assessment centre for testing.

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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