2 Yellowknife schools close due to measles exposure

Yellowknife's Catholic school board has temporarily closed two of its schools because of a case of measles. 

The school board sent a notice Sunday night to Weledeh Catholic School and École St. Patrick High School parents. 

It says the closure is a precaution while they determine if enough staff have proof of vaccination to continue operating. 

The letter follows another from the N.W.T. chief public health officer (CPHO) forwarded to parents over the weekend.  

It warned them that children at those schools might have been exposed to measles during the school day on April 28, April 30, and May 1, 2025. 

A similar letter was sent to parents with children at Yellowknife District No. 1's Sir John Franklin High School. 

It says students there might have been exposed to a case of measles on May 2, between 2:05 and 4 p.m.

The CPHO named other potential exposure locations in a news release on Monday afternoon. 

These include Breakaway Fitness on April 27, between 7 a.m. and 11 a.m.; the downtown Tim Hortons on April 28, between 11 a.m. and 1:40 p.m.; and Range Lake School gymnasium and atrium on April 28, between 4 and 6 p.m. 

The news release says this past weekend's Super Soccer event is not considered an exposure location "at this time."

The CPHO sent out public notices earlier this spring, warning that measles was spreading in other parts of the country, and encouraging people to check their immunization records and get vaccinated. 

It says people who have had two shots of a measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine are very unlikely to catch it, but that measles is one of the most easily transmissible infections.

It's spread through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. 

Symptoms include a dry cough, runny nose and sore throat and a blotchy rash that usually starts on the face. 

The notice to families at Sir John states that students with two doses of the MMR vaccine can go to school, those who received that vaccine outside the territory are required to email a copy of the immunization records to Yellowknife Public Health at ykphschools@gov.nt.ca. 

Yellowknife Catholic Schools said it will issue an update Monday afternoon on its school closures.