New COVID-19 cases reported at elementary schools, McMaster

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Published October 30, 2020 at 10:59 am

McMaster University is reporting another confirmed COVID-19 case involving an employee, bringing the total number of cases at the campus to eight.

The university reported on Thursday (Oct. 30) that they had received “notification of a confirmed COVID-19 case involving an employee with an external company who was on campus.’

Mac says that the individual tested positive on Oct. 28 and was last on campus on Oct. 26, and prior to that, Oct. 22, in several areas of the Nuclear Research Building.

“All areas of the building have since been thoroughly cleaned,” the school said on their website.

“Any contact tracing required is being managed by public health authorities. They will be directly contacting anyone who would be part of the tracing for this case.”

Meanwhile, two new cases have been confirmed among two students from two public elementary schools on the Mountain.

A student at Ridgemount Elementary and another one at Helen Detwiler Elementary School have tested positive for coronavirus.

The student at Ridgemount was last in the school on Oct. 27, according to a notice sent out by the school and the student at Helen Detwiler was last in the building on Oct. 23.

“HPHS has consulted on this case and have assessed that there are no student or staff close contacts related to this case,” a notice to Helen Detwiler families says.

“The student was not in the building when there would be a risk of exposure. As such, HPHS considers the risk to other students and staff low.”

Staff and students considered close contacts of the Ridgemount student have been notified and are self-isolating for 14 days.

Earlier this week, Hamilton’s Public Health Services (PHS) declared an outbreak at St. Marguerite d’Youville Catholic Elementary School after two students in the same cohort tested positive for COVID-19.

No new cases in connection to that outbreak have been reported as of Friday (Oct. 30).

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