Catholic elementary school in Kitchener closes temporarily due to COVID-19

COVID-19 closes local schools temporarily From CTV Kitchener's Krista Sharpe: Three schools have closed their doors temporarily due to COVID-19 cases.

KITCHENER — A Catholic elementary school in Kitchener will be closed until March 8 due to cases of COVID-19.

St. John Catholic Elementary School closed as of Wednesday afternoon, according to a post on the school's website. The Waterloo Catholic District School Board's COVID-19 tracker showed four cases at the school this week, including three students and a teacher who have tested positive for the disease.

Students will learn remotely during the shutdown. Officials said they gave out Chromebooks to as many students as possible Wednesday. Anyone who still needs one can pick them up from the school on Thursday at "Chromebook drive-thru" between 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.

Officials with the school board said there are currently six cases of the disease. It was closed due to staffing needs and it was school board decision.

"Depending on the cohort and the circumstances, a single case in a school can put upwards of a dozen staff into isolation," a statement from the school board said in part.

A notice to students said testing is available at the Victoria Hills Community Centre on March 2 from 4 to 7 p.m., along with other sites around the city.

This is the third school in the area to close this week due to COVID-19.

St. Peter Catholic Elementary School in Brantford will stay closed until March 11. So far, four students have tested positive for the disease.

St. Gregory Elementary School in Cambridge reopened on Feb. 25 after a temporary closure there. A staff member at that school tested positive for the disease and officials decided to close "out of an abundance of caution."