Eastern Health recommends additional testing for Mount Pearl Senior High community

Eastern Health is recommending additional COVID-19 testing for anyone in the Mount Pearl Senior High community, even if they have previously tested negative for the virus and do not have symptoms.

"I am concerned that there may be some individuals from the Mount Pearl Senior High school population who may have developed COVID-19 infection but remain undiagnosed," Eastern Health's medical officer of health Dr. David Allisonwrote in a letter to the school community on Friday.

"Public health is recommending additional testing for staff and students."

The isolation and quarantine period for many people in that community is coming to an end this weekend and early next week, since cases related to the outbreak were identified beginning Feb. 7. Two days later, high schools in the metro region were closed for contact tracing and to identify additional COVID-19 cases.

In a later statement to CBC News, Eastern Health said additional testing will help identify people who had testsdone before the incubation period was complete, and to ensure that potentially infectious students or staff"do not contribute to community spread greater than what we have already seen." Students and staff were asked to quarantine from Feb. 7 until Feb.21, the statement reads.

"With current wait times it should be possible for these individuals to finish the isolation on time. On a case-by-case basis, only those that are found to be COVID-19-positive will need to continue isolation," said Eastern Health.

Allison and Eastern Health saideveryone who attended Mount Pearl Senior High and received a negative test resultshould be retestedbefore the end of their isolation period, whetherthey have symptoms or not.Theymust have a negative test result before they leave isolation.

"In addition, those staff and students who did not have any symptoms and were not initially testedshould now proceed to make an appointment for COVID-19 testing," said Allison.

Students and teachers must fill out the online COVID-19 self-referral form or call 811 for testing. Allisonsaidthey will be provided testing time at the Reid Centre in Mount Pearl.

As of Saturday the average turnaround time from completing theonline self-assessment form to having a booked appointment is less than 24 hours, said Eastern Health,while the average turnaround time for lab test results is six to eighthours.

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