A student of Riverstone Public School has been diagnosed with COVID-19. The Grande Prairie Public School Division sent a letter to families Monday letting them know that classes will continue as usual Tuesday, with key areas of the school having undergone disinfection.

“The school remains open to in-person learning for all students, and we are working closely with AHS to ensure necessary measures are in place to protect students and staff. This includes cleaning and disinfecting items touched by the individual and removing and storing items that cannot be cleaned or disinfected (paper, books, etc.) in a sealed container.”

Alberta Health Services will be contacting parents and guardians of students, staff, visitors, and volunteers who may have been in close contact with the person who tested positive. The school division says anyone who is identified as a close contact will be helped to continue their course work.

GPPSD Superintendent Sandy McDonald tells MyGrandePrairieNow.com he is grateful for the work his team has done to keep students safe. He notes the importance of the systems and precautions that are in place.

“Our first concern today was for the health of our student, and we are grateful to the AHS staff who have been supporting our parents, students and staff today re: this first confirmed case in our division. They are working incredibly hard to support everyone’s health and to support contact tracing. It is evident as we are working to support our school community how important those contact tracing efforts are to keep our schools and our community safe and running smoothly.”

This is the first confirmed case in the school division since classes went back in session. Earlier this week, Peace Wapiti Public School Division had an individual test positive at Whispering Ridge Community School.