BCHS and Aurora Middle School with confirmed COVID cases linked to schools

Northern Lights Public Schools have confirmed COVID cases linked to two area schools on Wednesday.

Approximately 100 students and staff at Bonnyville Centralized High School are self-isolating, as someone connected to the school tested positive.

They were last in the school on Friday, said NLPS communications officer Nicole Garner.

“As the students arrived at school, we had identified who close contacts of that individual would be. We isolated them and started calling parents and they came and picked the kids up,” said Garner.

“They will be following the self-isolation rules for the time period from when the person was last in the school.”

Garner said she could not disclose if this person was a student or staff member.

There are two confirmed cases in individuals connected to Aurora Middle School in Lac La Biche and the students and staff in close contact are currently self-isolating.

“Each school has a plan in place for how they’re going to continue learning for those students who are at home, of course, provided that the students are feeling well and not ill,” said Garner.

In the St. Paul-Saddle Lake local geographic area on Wednesday, there are three new cases, with 78 active cases and 104 recoveries total on the AHS COVID data map.

The St. Paul Boys and Girls in an update Wednesday, said nine staff have so far tested positive with most of these exhibiting symptoms. Four children have tested positive, and two are showing mild fevers, the club said.

Saddle Lake’s “circuit breaker” lockdown began today.

One Kehewin resident is in hospital due to the virus, Kehewin Communications reported late Tuesday. Seventeen cases are active and 15 are recovered.

On the AHS map, three new cases have been reported in the Bonnyville area, which includes Kehewin, for a total of 28 active cases and 40 recoveries.

Active cases are up to 25 in the Cold Lake area on Wednesday, with 35 recoveries.

In the Lac La Biche area, there are now 14 active cases and six recoveries.

Six cases are active in the Smoky Lake area, five infections are active in the Frog Lake area, four within Vermilion River County, and three in the Two Hills area.

In Alberta on Wednesday, chief medical officer Dr. Deena Hinshaw confirmed 732 new cases and 11 deaths.