THUNDER BAY – The Westgate CVI school community is being warned of potential COVID-19 exposure at the school.
In a letter issued Monday, the Thunder Bay District Health Unit said it was “taking a precautionary approach related to a possible exposure within a cohort” at the James Street public high school.
Anyone identified as a close contact, including parents and guardians of affected students, will be contacted by a public health nurse, the release stated.
Close contacts will be required to stay home and cannot return to the school until cleared by the health unit.
Anyone in the same class or cohort as the infected individual is automatically considered a close contact.
The health unit offered few other details on the exposure, while Lakehead Public Schools maintains a policy against sharing information on school cases, citing privacy concerns.
“The full investigation will continue to unfold over the next few days,” the health unit stated, which could prompt further measures.
For now, anyone not contacted by public health as a close contact can continue attending school and does not require testing, the health unit advised.
The school, school board, and public health unit will provide updates in the coming days, the release said.
