All three Gimli schools will be switching to remote learning after multiple positive COVID-19 cases have affected staff, students and their families.
The schools were closed on Monday so people who had tests done could get their results back, and for additional school cleaning.
It also allowed public health officials to complete their investigations.
“In consultation with Public Health and Manitoba Education, the decision was made to move our Gimli schools to pandemic response level red, which means that we begin remote learning later this week for a period of approximately two weeks ending April 30,” said Roza Gray, superintendent of the Evergreen School Division.
In a letter to parents and caregivers, the school division said some students and staff at Sigurbjorg Stefansson Early School and Dr. George Johnson Middle School had tested positive for COVID-19 in the last few days. It said students and staff were at school during their infectious period.
The division also noted there are positive cases at Gimli High School.
Gray said health officials believe the cases were acquired through community transmission, and that there is no evidence the cases involve variants of concern.
News of the positive cases and the schools being shut down on Monday was a good call according to parent Corrine Samborski.
“There’s a lot of kids in school and God forbid if it got out of hand. I think they jumped on it pretty quick,” she said. “It’s just really unfortunate that the kids have to miss more school at the end of the day, but rather be safe than sorry.”
If parents do have children who test positive, Gray asks they contact the school, so they can work with health officials on contact tracing.
