Second St. F.X. student tests positive for COVID-19

A second COVID-19 case has been confirmed at St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish.

In a message to the community Saturday, St. F.X. president Andy Hakin said the case involves a student who returned to campus Jan. 5, was tested that day and has been self-isolating in residence.

The school was notified of the positive test result by public health Friday night, the release said.

It’s the second COVIDcase reported at St. F.X. in less than a week. On Jan. 5, the school announced that a student who had returned to campus Jan. 3 had tested positive and was self-isolating.

The two cases appear to be unrelated, the university said.

“Our plans have been fully enacted, including activating the necessary supports for our student, and the risk to the overall community remains low,” the release said.

Public health is managing any necessary contact tracing of close contacts, St. F.X. said, and the university has also reached out to anyone considered a low-risk contact to ensure they are informed.

“We thank public health for their continued efforts and support, as well as the student for actively monitoring for symptoms and following the appropriate safety procedures,” Hakin said in the message.

“These protocols work for the benefit of everyone, and I’m pleased to see our community continue to actively take steps to protect our overall health.”

The provincial government announced Friday that as of Saturday, anyone from New Brunswick who enters Nova Scotia must isolate for 14 days, the same as anyone who comes here from outside Atlantic Canada.

That change prompted St. F.X. to postpone the resumption of in-person classes until Jan. 25 to give New Brunswick students time to return to Antigonish by Sunday and complete their 14 days of isolation.

The university is asking that students from Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador not return to Antigonish until Jan. 24.

All classes at St. F.X. will resume in an online format Monday and will continue online until in-person classes begin Jan. 25.

Classes that had been scheduled to be online for the entire term will remain online, the school said.