COVID case at FHS keeps students studying from home
Public Health says it hasn't found student-to-transmission, school told Tuesday night that classes can resume
Students at Fredericton High School stayed home Tuesday while Public Health did contact tracing work after a case was confirmed at the school.
Notices were sent out late Monday evening that all classes would be held online.
"The goal is it'll only be for one day because this is about contact tracing," said Education and Early Development Minister Dominic Cardy.
"So we're making sure that we finish the contact tracing and hopefully can get all the kids back to the adjusted, normal routine for 2020-2021."
Public Health said Tuesday that "no student-to-student transmission has been determined in any school" at this time.
This was the first case reported at the Fredericton school.
On Tuesday night, the district superintendent posted a notice informing families regular in-school routines would resume on Wednesday, according to the school's alternating schedule.
He noted that two groups have been identified by Public Health. One will self-isolate and the other will self-monitor, and both groups have heard or will be hearing from Public Health.
"To provide some perspective and knowing that approximately 2,200 staff and students call FHS home, I can share that this round of contact will impact less than 65 individuals … to self-isolate or self-monitor," McTimoney said.
Cardy would not say how the positive COVID-19 case is connected to the school, the largest high school in the province with 1,900 students — whether the individual is a student, teacher or another member of staff.
"It's a little shocking to hear because it's so close to you, but once that settles down, I think everybody kind of just trusts all the protocols that are put in place," said Amanda Zhang, student body president at Fredericton High School.
"And you just know that if you're not contacted, then you're probably fine. You're just kind of hoping for the safety of everybody."
Zhang said her classmates have been diligent in following the COVID-19 safety procedures.
"We all know that we're prepared to do this kind of at a moment's notice, so it doesn't actually feel as weird as I thought it would. It feels pretty normal in a strange way."
There were five new cases announced in New Brunswick on Tuesday, including four in the Fredericton region.
There are now 82 active cases in the province.