ST. JOHN'S, N.L. — Eastern Health says approximately 185 individuals at 22 schools in the St. John’s metro area have tested positive for COVID-19, according to the most recent information available.
As would be expected, the bulk of cases involve Mount Pearl Senior High School, the epicentre of the recent outbreak in the region; the health authority says as of Monday, Feb. 22, a total of 145 students and/or staff from MPSH produced positive tests. That's more than three-quarters of the total number.
That leaves about 40 individuals and/or staff members at the remaining 21 schools, but Eastern Health isn’t specifying the number of cases at individual schools (other than MPSH) for privacy reasons. The math says, in many cases, there would be single cases at many of the schools.
“We are unable to disclose a complete listing of cases in each school without potentially identifying individual students or staff,” read a statement from Eastern Health Tuesday evening.
Five of the schools (including MPSH) are located in Mount Pearl, six are in C.B.S., five are in St. John’s, four are in Paradise, and there are one each in Torbay and Portugal-Cove-St. Philip’s.
The same release said it is important to note “numbers do not distinguish between whether a case attended school or not during his/her period of communicability. Many of the cases were identified early in the outbreak with case investigation and contact tracing of students and sports teams.”
Because investigations are ongoing, Eastern Health notes the numbers are subject to change.
Eastern Health also said, because of a request from the Newfoundland and Labrador Eastern School District, it provided time for the school district to notify those involved prior to the release of this information.
The schools, other than Mount Pearl Senior High:
- École des Grands-Vents, St. John’s
- Beachy Cove Elementary, Portugal Cove-St. Philip’s
- Elizabeth Park Elementary, Paradise
- Frank Roberts Junior High, Conception Bay South
- Holy Family Elementary, Paradise
- Holy Heart of Mary High School, St. John’s
- Holy Spirit High School, Conception Bay South
- Juniper Ridge Intermediate, Torbay
- Mary Queen of the World, Mount Pearl
- Mount Pearl Intermediate, Mount Pearl
- Newtown Elementary School, Mount Pearl
- Octagon Pond Elementary, Paradise
- O'Donel High, Mount Pearl
- Paradise Elementary, Paradise
- St. George's Elementary, Conception Bay South
- St. Matthew's School, St. John’s
- Topsail Elementary, Conception Bay South
- Upper Gullies Elementary, Conception Bay South
- Vanier Elementary, St. John’s
- Villanova Junior High, Conception Bay South
- Waterford Valley High, St. John’s
