Officials at a junior high school in St. Albert said preventative measures had been taken and the school would be closed on Friday, after dozens of students and a few staff members fell ill on Wednesday.
The superintendent of Greater St. Albert Catholic Schools said Thursday that 37 students and three staff members at Vincent J. Maloney Catholic Junior High School reported symptoms consistent with a gastrointestinal virus – such as vomiting and diarrhea.
School officials followed Alberta Health Services (AHS) guidelines and contacted parents, and started a deep cleaning protocol of high-touch areas of the school, such as door knobs and rails.
AHS told CTV News, gastrointestinal illness is common year-round, but is more likely to occur in fall and winter, people can be exposed through swimming, by consuming food prepared by someone with poor hand hygiene, improperly handled or cooked food or exposure to others who are ill.
On Thursday, 147 students did not attend class, but it wasn’t clear if that was because of illness or parents trying to prevent them getting sick.
Friday was a scheduled half day of classes, and half PD day – after Wednesday, officials have decided close the school, do a deep clean of the entire school before opening as usual Tuesday after Family Day.
An AHS spokesperson told CTV News GI illness isn’t unusual, particularly in schools – so far this year, there have been 43 GI illness outbreaks in the Edmonton Zone, and 121 in Alberta. Last year, 170 such outbreaks were reported in the Edmonton Zone, and 392 were reported in Alberta.
To prevent the spread of illness, AHS said advised people should wash their hands after using the washroom, after looking after an ill person, and before handling food – and to clean bathrooms and other areas most frequently used by people who are sick to prevent the illness from spreading.
Parents have been advised to keep their children at home if they are sick, and to contact Health Link at 811.
