COVID cases prompt Luther College High School to move to online learning

All of the students at Regina’s Luther College High School are moving to online learning for the next two weeks.

In a statement on its website, the school announced it had cancelled classes Tuesday afternoon and was moving to remote learning effective Wednesday.

The school made the decision after learning from the Saskatchewan Health Authority that two students had tested positive for COVID-19.

“Given the large infection rates in Regina, the increasing variants, the number of close contacts involved in these cases, and our primary concern for the safety of all our students and employees, we sent all students home at lunch (Tuesday) and put the dorm students on lockdown,” the school’s statement said.

All students at the independent school are to learn via Zoom for 14 days. The school said a final decision about midterm exams is to be made within the next few days.

“This is not the news we were hoping for, but in the interest of Luther community safety, it is the only real choice available to us,” the school said.

Luther isn’t the only school to temporarily close its doors due to COVID.

The Prairie Valley School Division announced two people at Grenfell High Community School had tested positive and close contacts had been told to self-isolate.

“Given the significant number of students and staff impacted by these two cases, the school was closed effective (Monday) and students are moving to online learning until March 25,” the division said in a media release. “March 26 is a day with no school, as per the school year calendar. Students and staff will return to school March 29.”

As well, the division reported a person associated with Cupar School had tested positive. Close contacts were told to isolate for two weeks — and that included people at Robert Southey School. As a result, a class at that latter institution moved to online learning.

A class at Indian Head Elementary School also shifted to remote learning due to a positive COVID test. That class is to return to school March 30.

As well, a person at Montmartre School tested positive, prompting two classes to move to online instruction. Those students are to return to school March 25.