17 students isolating from COVID-19 case at Bishop Tonnos Catholic Secondary in Hamilton

One class has been closed and 17 Bishop Tonnos Catholic Secondary Schoolstudents are in self-isolation after one of them tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday.

Alexa Pollard is one of those students. Her father, David, told CBCthey knew there was a case at the school that day, but only learned the student was in Alexa's classon Sunday.

"We were told to go home and self-isolate, but there could have been more instructions on what to do," he said.

"She's frustrated, but she's going on online learning."

David said he's happy with how the school board prepared for the pandemic, but he's frustrated bypublic health's communication. He says it took too long to respond and addedhe is confused about whether Alexashould be tested or not.

"By the time we get the results back, she'll be back in school. We don't see the symptoms, we don't see anything but in my opinion, they should have told us to go get tested immediately ... they never told us to," he said.

"She can go back to school on the 28th ... they're including the days she was attending school (from the 14th) as being quarantined."

Jacqueline Durlov, a spokesperson with public health, told CBC parents with students in Bishop Tonnoswere "given the same standard instructions as all others who are identified as a close contact in any case."

"These instructions include that the child would be required to stay at home until 14 days after their contact with the case, monitor for symptoms, stay in their room, only a share a bathroom if no other solution, wear mask if they must leave their room or go for health care, and monitor for symptoms," she wrote in an e-mail.

"Public healthwould be following up with them regularly to discuss any symptoms that may develop and otherwise check in with them until their quarantine is over."

It's unclearwhat kind of symptoms the infected personhasor had, where and/or howthey got the virus, but they were last in the school on Monday, Sept. 14.

Marnie Jadon, a spokesperson for Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board, said no staff needed to self-isolate.

One thing Davidisn't worried about is the student case turning into an outbreak.

Dr. Ninh Tran with Hamilton Public Health previously told CBC one student getting the virus would not leadan entire school to closedown.

INTERACTIVE | Use this map to findCOVID-19 cases in local schools

Outbreaks, which are defined bytwo, connected lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in a school, will be handled case-by-case.

"There's no fast, exact rule ... the type of intervention will depend on the size and type of outbreak," he said.

"Certainly if we have cases popping up in various classrooms and we think there's transmission within the schools then, yeah, closing the school becomes a much more reasonable option."

This comes after a handful of local schools sent notices to families about COVID-19 cases in students or staff.

Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board had astaff member at the Umbrella Family and Child Centre before-and-after school program at the school testpositive on Thursday.

Durlov told CBC on Monday eight or nine students are self-isolating.

More to come.

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