COVID-19 case confirmed at St. Stephen CSS in Bowmanville

March 1, 2021

The following letter was sent to the St. Stephen Catholic Secondary School community in Bowmanville, informing students, families and staff that an individual at the school has received a positive test result for COVID-19.

Dear parents, guardians and staff, 

As always, the well-being of our students and staff is our top priority. With that in mind, we are letting you know that we have been informed of a confirmed case of COVID-19 at St. Stephen Catholic Secondary School. The identity of the individual is protected by privacy legislation and will not be shared.

What we can share is that the individual has been isolating at home and they did not attend school while they were infectious. They will remain at home until the health unit advises they may return to school. The Durham Region Health Department has investigated and determined that no students or staff are considered high risk contacts.

The school remains open and we ask you to please continue to self screen daily before entering school using the provincial screening tool: https://covid-19.ontario.ca/school-screening/. As always, please remember to inform us if your child will be absent from school.

Common COVID-19 symptoms include fever (temperature of 37.8 degrees Celsius or greater), new or worsening cough and shortness of breath. Other symptoms of COVID-19 can include sore throat, difficulty swallowing, changes to sense of taste and/or smell, nausea/vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain and runny nose, or nasal congestion (not caused by seasonal allergies). For more information about COVID-19, please visit www.durham.ca/novelcoronavirus

If staff or students develop one or more symptoms, immediately self-isolate, follow up with your healthcare provider and/or call Durham Health Connection Line (DHCL) at 1-800-841-2729 and seek testing.

We appreciate that this news may be concerning for our students, staff and parents. We will continue to follow all health precautions at the school, including thorough cleaning and disinfecting of all areas; frequent and proper handwashing by everyone in the building; wearing masks; maintaining physical distancing to the fullest extent possible, and following any other steps directed by the health unit.

We will continue to let families know about any further developments. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the school.  

Sincerely,

Trevor Poechman
Principal