Student at Elsipogtog First Nation school tests positive for COVID-19

Acase of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Elsipogtog First Nation, N.B.

A student at Elsipogtog School has tested positive, according to a notice to parents Wednesday from Ivan Augustine, the director of education for the community's education authority.

The student has been staying home, he said, and immediate family members were sent home to limit exposure.

Classes were dismissed early Wednesday and the school will remainclosed for twodays to allow for contact tracingand sanitization,Augustine advised.

Public Health did not announce the case among the province'sconfirmed school cases Wednesday or Thursday.

Elsipogtog School has students in kindergarten through Grade 8.

It is located roughly 13 kilometres southwest of Rexton, in the Moncton region, Zone 1, which has 382 active cases of COVID-19, as of Thursday.

The school closureis a precautionary measure, according to a Facebook post by school principal Melissa Googoo Dedam.

The student in questionhas not been to school since last week, she wrote, and the child's family members are following all the directions from Public Health.

Staff members were tested using rapid tests before they left Wednesday andthe results came back negative, she added.

"I understand you are scared and that's [OK]. We are following all our COVID protocols and no one has [willingly] put your children in danger. In these times of crisis, [it is] important to be respectful and kind to one another."

Rest assured the Elsipogtogchief & council, the COVID-19 response team and the Elsipogtog Health & Wellness Centre are confident in the community's ability to address, adapt and contain [COVID] cases.- ElsipogtogFirst Nation chief and council

The chief and council and Elsipogtog COVIDresponse team announced the new case on the band's Facebook page Wednesday, calling it "unfortunate news," but "not unexpected."

"Please note that the community member has been in isolation for the past couple of days and close contacts [have] been notified," the post states.

Those peoplehave also undergone rapid testingand theirresults also came back negative, it said.

The Elsipogtog Health & Wellness Centre is continuingthe contact tracing.

Support is also being offered to the affected family, according to the post.

"Rest assured the Elsipogtogchief & council, the COVID-19 response team and the Elsipogtog Health & Wellness Centre are confident in the community's ability to address, adapt and contain [COVID] cases," it states.

Case in August cancelled powwow

A positive case reported in the community on Aug. 26prompted officials to cancel the 31st annual powwow, scheduled for Sept. 3-5.

Community members are reminded to continue to:

• Stay within a singlehousehold bubble.
• Maintain physical distancing.
• Wash/sanitize their hands regularly and avoid touching their face.
• Wear a mask where required.
• Stay home and seek testing if they're feeling unwell.
• Take advantage offree vaccination clinics, if theyhaven't already done so.