JASON PARKS

STAFF WRITER

CML Snider elementary school in Wellington will be closed indefinitely due to a positive COVID-19 case.

In a letter, Hastings Prince Edward District School Board Director of Education Sean Monteith confirmed what spread like wildfire Thursday afternoon as parents were informed the school was being closed and they were to come and pick up their children.

“This letter is further to a telephone message you received earlier today about CML Snider School being closed indefinitely due to a positive COVID-19 case,” Monteith said. “Earlier today, we were informed by Hastings Prince Edward Public Health (HPEPH) that a positive case had been confirmed, affecting a student in one class.”

HPEPH updated their COVID-19 dashboard Thursday afternoon and the case count in Prince Edward County increased to four laboratory confirmed cases.

Overall, there are 39 active cases currently in the region. For further details, visit https://hpepublichealth.ca/covid-19-cases/

The Director said the CML Snider class cohort, as well as several staff who were in the classroom, may be required to self-isolate.

“Through contact tracing, HPEPH will contact affected students and staff within the next 24 hours. Due to an anticipated higher number of staff absences, we believe we will not have enough staff available for classes to continue safely and to maintain separation of cohorts,” Monteith said. “As the Director of Education and with the best information available, I made the decision to close the school as a preventative measure. This decision is based on our commitment to safety for all students, families and staff.”

It’s expected HPEPH will be contacting anyone who is a close/high-risk contact with more information and guidance on next steps.

“We will share more communications over the weekend, including what to expect next week. Thank you for your understanding as we work to ensure safety for the C.M.L. Snider School community,” Monteith said