1st COVID-19 outbreaks at Alberta schools confirmed in Calgary and Lethbridge

Alberta has reported its first COVID-19 outbreaks at schools, at two public high schools in Calgary and Lethbridge.

In south Calgary,parents and staff atHenry Wise Wood High Schoolreceived a letter from Alberta Health ServicesWednesday evening confirming that two or more people with COVID-19 had attended the school while infectious.

"Public Health staff are investigating to determine who may have been exposed at your school to cases of COVID-19 during their infectious period," AHSwrote in the letter.

In an emailed statement to CBC News, AHSsaidan outbreak isdefined as two or more confirmed cases at the same school within 14 days.

"Any individual considered exposed to this case will be contacted directly by Alberta Health Services, per standard contact tracing procedures," said AHS. "Infection prevention control measures (physical distancing, masking, hand hygiene, environmental cleaning) have also been reviewed with the school."

In Lethbridge, parents and staff atChinook High Schoolreceived a similar letter on Wednesday, stating an outbreak has been confirmed at the school.

According to a statement on the school's website, AHS notified the division that there are two COVID-19 cases, and that any close contacts of those infected will be contacted by the school through an emailed letter and individually by AHS.

The statement said Chinook High School will remain open, based on advice from AHS.

'There's anxiety,' says parent

Virginia Wong, whose daughterattends Henry Wise Wood High School, saidparents need more information.

"I wasn't surprised, but I was disappointed that the outbreak occurred after two days of full in-person learning, and I felt fearful for myself as well as for the students.

"There's no clear direction for them, so there's anxiety," Wongsaid.

Although Wednesdaywas only the second day of school, she said she'sunable to transfer her daughter into online learning becauseregistration hasclosed.

The news of the outbreaks Wednesday camea few hours after the province confirmedthatalthough there are 16 Covid-19 cases at 16 Alberta schools, no school at that pointhad reportedtwo or more cases within a 14-day period.

At the Wednesday news conference, Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Alberta's chief medical health officer also announced the launch of anonline mapthat will list every school that reports two or more cases within a 14-day periodwhere the virus could have been acquired or transmitted within the school itself.

However, the map hadnot been updated to include the Calgary or Lethbridge outbreaks.

Other schools with reported cases

In Edmonton, schools with cases but not outbreaks includeArchbishop MacDonald High School,Louis St. Laurent,cole Sainte-Jeanne-d'ArcandRoss Sheppard High, a public school in northwest Edmontonthat has sent nearly 100 students into isolation.

Individual coronavirus cases have also been identified at Calgary schools, includingDivine Mercy Catholic Elementary, Bowness High School,Bridlewood School, St. Angela School,St. Rose of Lima School, Lester B. Pearson High School, Notre Dame High School, St. Francis High School andArbour Lake School, as well as W.H.Croxford High School in Airdrie.

One new case hasbeen recorded atSt. Wilfrid Elementary School in northeast Calgary making a totalof two cases there.

In other parts of Alberta, Raymond High School in Raymond and Lawrence Grassi Middle School in Canmore are also dealing with individual cases.