Windsor school has been closed amid 26 COVID-19 cases

A COVID-19 outbreak at a Windsor elementary school has now affected 26 employees and students and is believed to be the largest to date in an Ontario school.

The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit reported the outbreak at FW Begley Public School on November 17, and there were three positive cases at the school at the time.

The Greater Essex County District School Board says there have been 26 confirmed cases as of Saturday.

For an outbreak to be declared, two or more cases in a school must be linked.

Begley was closed until further notice, with staff and students invited to isolate themselves for 14 days. The statement states that the entire school is considered to be at high risk of exposure to the virus.

On Friday, the health unit also declared an outbreak in a single classroom at WJ Langlois Catholic Primary School, which is about a 13-minute drive away.

Two confirmed cases were initially announced and their entire class was asked to self-isolate. Upon further investigation, there are now four positive COVID-19 cases linked within the school and it has since been closed.

Ontario isn’t the only province to experience a handful of larger and more school-based coronavirus outbreaks. In Quebec, nearly 80 cases have been reported at Auberivière Primary School in Lévis, which is also temporarily closed. About 28 employees and 50 students tested positive for the virus.