2 More Students Under The Age Of 12, Contract COVID-19

Two new cases of COVID-19 linked to Ecole La-Belle-Cloche prompts weeklong school closure

Chief Public Health Officer, Dr. Heather Morrison, has announced two new cases of COVID-19 in Prince Edward Island, both of which are linked to Ecole La-Belle-Cloche in Souris. 

Both individuals are under the age of 12 years and are students at Ecole La-Belle-Cloche. This is the third case at this school announced this weekend and the situation is considered a school-based outbreak. 

“We are expecting more cases related to this outbreak in the coming days,” said Dr. Morrison. “It is extremely important that anyone in the Souris area who is experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19, even if they are mild, get tested at a Health PEI clinic. This situation is a good reminder for everyone to stick to the public health basics, including staying home when sick, getting fully vaccinated (if eligible), washing hands often and wearing a mask in indoor public places.”

In order to allow time for testing and to limit further transmission of COVID-19, Ecole La-Belle-Cloche will be closed for this week, from Monday, December 6 to Friday, December 10 inclusive.

The child care center, the after-school program and the community center contained in the school will remain closed until at least Wednesday, December 8 with further direction to be provided.  

Online learning will begin on Wednesday, December 8 (parents and guardians will be contacted) and the school will undergo deep cleaning this week. 

Close contacts of these cases will be contacted and advised regarding testing and isolation requirements.

• All individuals identified as close contacts are asked to be tested at a Health PEI drop-in testing clinic tomorrow in Charlottetown (at 64 Park Street between 8:00 am and 4:00 pm) or Montague (14 Rosedale Road between 9:30 am and 2:00 pm).  

All other students and staff who are not identified as close contacts and do not have symptoms of COVID-19 are asked to be tested at Ecole La-Belle-Cloche on Monday, December 6.

• Those with last names beginning with A to M are asked to arrive for testing at 11:00 am.
• Those with last names starting with N to Z are asked to arrive at 11:45 am.
• Students and staff who are not close contacts are asked to isolate until they receive test results and further direction will be provided by public health.

Testing for individuals who do not have symptoms is also available on Monday, December 6 at Wood Islands (former weigh station near the ferry terminal) between 10:00 am and 12:00 pm and between 3:00 pm and 5:00 pm.  

There are new public exposure notifications on Saturday, December 4:

• Eastern Kings Sportsplex (203 Veteran’s Memorial Highway, Souris) between 7:00 am and 10:25 am
• Northumberland Arena (1251 Gladstone Road, Murray River) between 11:00 am and 12:30 am

Anyone who was at these locations during these times who is not fully vaccinated should visit a drop-in testing clinic to be tested and monitor for symptoms for 14 days from the date of exposure. If any symptoms develop, individuals should be re-tested.

Anyone who was at these locations during these times who is fully vaccinated should monitor for symptoms for 14 days from the date of exposure and if any symptoms develop, they should visit a drop-in testing clinic.

There are currently 20 active cases of COVID-19 in PEI and there have been 389 cases since the pandemic began. 

As always, all Islanders are urged to get tested if they experience any symptoms of COVID-19, even after a previous negative test, and to self-isolate, until the results come back. Islanders are also encouraged to download the free national COVID Alert app(link is external), which will let them know if they have been exposed to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19.

Anyone age 12 and over can receive their COVID-19 vaccination at one of the Health PEI clinics(link is external) or at one of the 28 partner pharmacies across the province. Island children between the ages of five and 11 can now receive their COVID-19 vaccination at Health PEI clinics.