The Grey Bruce Health Unit is working with Bluewater District School Board to address an outbreak of COVID-19 associated with Normanby Community School in Ayton, Ontario; that is, evidence of transmission of COVID-19 within the school environment.

To date, there are 2 cases related to this outbreak.

Public Health is the lead in all outbreaks and case management and will let you know if you are a close contact with someone who has COVID-19, based on a thorough risk assessment completed only by Public Health.

Determining who is a close contact is a decision that can only be made by Public Health. Anyone identified as a contact to the confirmed case, both inside and outside the school environment, will be contacted by a Public Health case manager directly. Those at risk of infection will be contacted within 24 hours of the investigation.

Anyone NOT contacted by Public Health is not considered at risk and need not take any additional steps including asymptomatic testing.

The Grey Bruce Health Unit will direct those considered at risk and requiring testing, to be tested on the appropriate and recommended date(s). There is no value in anyone being tested ahead of being notified and instructed to do so by Public Health as results would be unreliable and would put individuals at risk of more testing than is required.

The cases have been contacted directly by our COVID-19 Case and Contact Management Team. We are working with the cases and Bluewater District School Board to identify others, both in and out of the school environment, who may have been exposed and to determine their risk level.

source: Grey Bruce Health Unit