Two area schools extend closures

Students and staff at Lumsden High School will not be returning to in-person classes until after the Christmas break.

The high school temporarily shut down on Nov. 22 and its approximately 300 students began remote learning on Nov. 24 after several cases of COVID-19 were reported at the school.

At the time, Prairie Valley School Division (PVSD) said the school would remain closed until Dec. 7.

In a news release on Thursday, PVSD said the school will now remain closed through the last day of classes ahead of the Christmas holidays “to continue to reduce the potential risk of transmission of COVID-19,” the release said.

The last day of classes before the break is Dec. 18. Students are anticipated to return to regular in-person classes on Jan. 4.

The temporary closure of Grant Road School is also being extended after an additional case of COVID-19 at the school was reported.

Regina Public Schools announced on Nov. 28 the school was shutting down until Dec. 7 after a case was reported at the school. Students moved to remote learning on Dec. 1.

On Thursday the division said the closure has now been extended to Dec. 14 because of the new case, with students continuing to learn online until Dec. 11. All close contacts have been contacted and told to self-isolate, and letters have been sent out to all school families.

Multiple students and a staff member at Regina Huda School are also self-isolating after a case of COVID-19 was detected at the facility.

The school said staff were informed of the case by the Saskatchewan Health Authority. All close contacts have been contacted and directed to self-isolate. The impacted students and a staff member are moving to online learning and will return to in-person classes on Dec. 14.

All classrooms at the school remain open.

Regina Huda School had temporarily closed for two weeks in early November after several students tested positive, and has been open for in-person classes since Nov. 16.

Anyone experiencing symptoms should self-isolate and call HealthLine 811 to arrange for testing.