By Shaun Penner

COVID IN SCHOOLS

COVID-19 outbreaks declared at Aspen Grove, St. John Paul II schools

Mar 1, 2021 | 6:28 PM

There are now eight Grande Prairie schools under a COVID-19 outbreak status, as Aspen Grove School and St. John Paul II High School are now reporting being five and nine cases among individuals from those schools.

Five or more cases have also been linked at Alexander Forbes, Ecole Montrose, Charles Spencer High School and St. Catherine, where outbreaks were previously announced.

Two other schools in Grande Prairie, École Nouvelle Frontière and Hillcrest Christian School, are also under an outbreak status as well, but have recorded 10 or more cases.

Nine other schools in the city are under a COVID-19 alert, meaning between two and four cases are being reported at the schools. Those schools include Grande Prairie Composite High School, Riverstone, Parkside Montessori, St. Clement, Ecole St. Gerard, Swanavon and Grande Prairie Christian School.

Two new schools were issued an alert status Monday, those being Harry Balfour and Hillside Community School.

Outbreak and alerts for schools are considered over when there have been no new confirmed cases within a 28 day period.

Alberta’s chief medical officer of health, Dr. Deena Hinshaw, says active alerts have been issued at 236 schools in Alberta, which is about 10 per cent of all schools in Alberta. 890 cases have been linked to schools in Alberta since Jan. 11.