5 cases of COVID-19 confirmed at LOLPS, as school to remain close until April 6

(This story has been updated from the version which is appearing in the print edition of the Frontenac News on March 25)

Late on Friday afternoon (March 19), the Limestone District School Board put out a press release announcing the closure of Land O'Lakes Public School (LOLPS) in Mountain Grove, until April 6, because of the COVID-19 outbreak in the school

“Kingston Frontenac Lennox and Addington Public Health has been notified that a second student at Land O’Lakes Public School has tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the current number of positive cases at the school to three.

“As a result, Medical Officer of Health Dr. Kieran Moore has directed that the entire school will close for two weeks to help control further spread. The school will remain closed until Tuesday, April 6, 2021.

“Furthermore, all students who attend Land O’Lakes Public School, all riders of Bus 583, [including some students who attend Granite Ridge Education Centre in Sharbot Lake] and all staff who worked at Land O’Lakes Public School, any time from March 8 to March 19, 2021, and their household contacts, must self-isolate until they hear otherwise. This includes all families of staff and students who are already isolating. Families will receive more information in the coming days with additional public health guidance.”

The circumstances, leading to the shutdown, began to unfold on Monday (March 15), when the Limestone Board revealed that a staff member, at the school, had tested positive.

On Wednesday (March 17) after one student had tested positive, an outbreak was declared by the Limestone Board and KFLAPH, but the school still remained open.

On Thursday afternoon (March 18), Dr. Moore said, during a media call, that 3 people at LOLPS had tested positive, two staff members and one student. Dr. Moore said that the test results from a pop-up test clinic at the school on Monday (March 15) had all come back negative thus far.

He added that the students who had tested negative would need to be tested again, “in 5 to 7 days” before they would be free and clear of any potential infection at the school.

On Friday, (March 19) the test results for a second student came back positive for the virus and the school was closed.

In their release on Friday, the Limestone Board said, "KFL&A Public Health, the school and board are taking all necessary steps to prevent further spread of the virus, both in the school and the community. As always, the health and safety of students, staff and the school community remain our priority."

On Monday (March 22) the Limestone Board said that three students have now tested positive for COVID-19, the most recent positive test being confirmed on Saturday.

Karen Smith, communications officer with the Limestone Board, said that the outbreak includes 5 individuals, two staff members and 3 students.

A testing clinic took place at LOLPS on Sunday, March 21, for the school community and the students from Granite Ridge Education Centre (GREC) who ride on bus 583. 

Update - On Wednesday, March 24, the Limestone Board put out a new release, saying the following: 

"Land O'Lakes Public School will remain closed until April 6, 2021 and students will continue with remote learning until April 1, 2020, however, KFL&A Public Health has released some individuals from isolation.

Students in the Grade 5/6 class cohort and staff who were previously identified as high-risk contacts, are required to continue to isolate until midnight on March 26, 2021. Household contacts of these students and staff (parents, siblings and others who live in the same house as the student or staff member) are asked to remain vigilant and only go out for essential reasons.

All other students, staff, and families of Land O’ Lakes Public School and Bus 583 are no longer required to isolate. Families and all household contacts of these students and staff are asked to remain vigilant and only go out for essential reasons.

KFL&A Public Health reminds everyone that essential reasons include work, school (if student(s) attends a school other than Land O'Lakes) and child care. If anyone in the home develops symptoms, they need to get tested, all household contacts must isolate until the symptomatic person receives a negative test result."