CHAT News file photo

By Teagan Rasche

‘At least six’: first outbreak identified at city school

Sep 17, 2021 | 4:28 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – The first outbreak of the new school year in Medicine Hat was identified by Alberta Health Services Friday.

A letter was sent out to parents of Webster Niblock School notifying them of positive COVID-19 cases.

Medicine Hat Public School Division Supt. Mark Davidson says there are at least six cases, but because AHS isn’t tracking, tracing and isolating anymore, it’s hard to know how many there actually are.

Schools are declared on outbreak status when there is a 10 per cent or more absence rate.

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The public school division implemented a masking policy before classes even went back and although cases in schools initially spiked, Davidson says they have stabilized.

“We were really climbing quickly in the second week of school, but now when you look at the number of cases in each of our schools, it seems fairly stable,” Davidson said. “We hear about some every day and some have dropped off the other side and recovered.”

Davidson says he’s super proud of the way students, staff and families have handled the challenging start to the school year.