Grade 12 student tests positive for COVID-19 in second confirmed HS case
Grade 12 graduation will take place at Central Hall Westminster with extra COVID-19 regulations and will be available to watch over livestream. Grade 12 students may only invite two guests and will be seated on the ground floor rather than the stage.
October 1, 2020
A Grade 12 student has tested positive for COVID-19 Oct. 1, bringing the cumulative number of tests at the school to eight, Head of School Robin Appleby confirmed with The Standard.
As a result, 25 students and three faculty members are self-isolating.
This is the second case in the High School, but the first within the student body.
Appleby said that after following track and trace protocols, the school has determined the Grade 12 case is not connected to any previous cases, including the High School teacher who tested positive Sept. 25.
The student has not been on campus since Sept. 29.
Appleby said that the three faculty members in self-isolation will Zoom into their classes for the next two weeks. An adult proctor will be present in the room with students until the faculty members return.
Additionally, Appleby said that while the school does have the authority to isolate certain grade levels, an entire campus shutdown would require government approval.
“If we were to decide that the High School needed to all stay home for two weeks, I wouldn’t get any pushback,” she said. “If I were to decide that we were going to close down the campus indefinitely for the remainder of the year … we’d have to talk to the government about that.”
According to GOV.UK, the U.K. has now reached a seven-day case average of 6,259. However, Appleby said no new advice has come from the Department of Education, from whom the administration receives a daily update.
Appleby said that despite the situation, she is still optimistic.
“We made it through five weeks with eight cases,” she said. “That’s pretty good.”
