Staff member at Waterloo school tests positive for COVID-19, board says

A staff member at Edna Staebler Public School in Waterloo has tested positive for COVID-19.

The individual, who has not been identified by the Waterloo Region District School Board because of privacy concerns, was last in the building on Sept. 3, the board says.

Region of Waterloo Public Health was notified and investigated the board. Public health found "there are no high-risk contacts within the school during the case's period of communicability," the school board said.

"Public health has also noted that exposure risk to others in the school is low given the layers of infection prevention protocols and measures in place at the school observed by the individual and by school staff," the board said in a post on its website.

Anyone considered to be at high risk of having contact with the individual and of contracting COVID-19 will be contacted by public health.

The school has been cleaned and staff will be able to access the building on Tuesday.

The news comes on the same weekend Ottawa-area schools reported five teachers have tested positive for COVID-19. Peel District School Board also reports cases in two schools on its website.

Students with the Waterloo Region District School Board will not return to in-class or virtual learning until next week. This week is set aside for teacher preparations and training, orientation sessions and helping students with special needs ease into the return to school.