No outbreaks or alerts for schools in Lakeland; 1 individual tests positive at Ashmont School

An individual at Ashmont School has tested positive for COVID-19 according to a letter from St. Paul Education Superintendent Glen Brodziak.

Citing privacy concerns, Brodziak said the division is unable to disclose their personal information, but confirmed they are currently isolating at home.

“Out of an abundance of caution, we have already been in contact with the individual(s) who were in close contact with the individual. If you have no heard from us, your child was not part of the impacted cohort and no isolation is required,” reads the letter.

No schools in the Lakeland are currently under an alert or outbreak status according to the province.

In the provincial update Jan. 18, Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Deena Hinshaw said analysis of their data from September to December 2020 indicates only six per cent of COVID-19 cases reported in schools were acquired in the school.

“The current school model in place is largely effective at limiting in school transmission. However as cases rise the community they also rise in school populations and everywhere else. The protocols in our schools are important as they allow our students, staff, and teachers to experience the benefit of in-person learning while limiting spread in school,” said Hinshaw.

Province-wide, with 474 new cases reported Alberta saw the smallest increase on any day in the past month save Dec. 26 (467) and Jan. 2 (456). Hospitalizations are also decreasing, with 739 people currently in hospital with COVID-19, down from 953 on Dec. 30. There are still 120 people in intensive care units across the province, and an additional 11 people died.

“While it is encouraging to see these numbers are going down, it is important to keep in mind that over the past 10 years, the average annual recorded death toll from influenza has been 58 deaths per year. So having lost an additional 11 people to COVID-19, which amounts to almost 20% of an average full year of influenza data, should not be taken lightly,” said Hinshaw.

“The lives lost to COVID-19 are a painful reminder to us all of the seriousness of the virus, and the need to protect ourselves and each other from it,” said Hinshaw.

Total case counts for COVID-19 continue to rise across the Lakeland, but the pace has slowed somewhat since the beginning of January when some area communities were seeing 10 or more new cases every day.

According to data provided by the provincial government, communities in the Lakeland saw an average increase of two cases between Jan. 16 and Jan. 17.