Roy Bickell Public School added to COVID-19 alert list

Jan 27, 2021 | 4:01 PM

A seventh Grande Prairie school has been added to province’s COVID-19 alert list.

Roy Bickell Public School was added to the list Wednesday, meaning there have been between two and four cases of COVID-19 identified in the school.

Roy Bickell joins Crystal Park School, Derek Taylor Public School, Charles Spencer High School, St Joseph’s Catholic High School, St. Kateri Catholic School and Ecole Montrose to have all been placed on the public alert map.

AHS says when at least two cases are found in a school setting, public health officials initiate an investigation to monitor the level of transmission risk within the school.

“After the first two cases within 14 days are identified, additional cases in the school will be included in the investigation as long as there is less than 28 days between subsequent cases.”

Alberta’s chief medical officer of health, Dr. Deena Hinshaw, says there are currently 273 Alberta schools listed under an alert status, whcih equates to approximately 12 per cent of all schools in Alberta.

She adds 15 schools in the province are under an outbreak status, meaning there have been five or more cases found at the school.

A total of 554 cases have been linked to schools in Alberta, as of January 26.

by Shaun Penner