The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit has declared an outbreak at Bear Creek Secondary School in south-end Barrie.
According to the health unit's website, the outbreak was declared on Feb. 1, and there are three individuals who attend the school with COVID-19.
"This is the first outbreak we've had at a school since the new year," said Leslie Gordon, spokesperson for the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit.
While the majority of students have been working remotely until they return to class on Monday, students with special needs have been given an exception to attend in-class lessons along with staff to support them.
When contacted on Wednesday, Feb. 3 by BarrieToday to inquire about possible school outbreaks, an official with the Simcoe County District School Board would not confirm whether there were any cases at the Red Oak Drive school at that time.
Since January, it has been the public school board's policy to not identify schools with COVID-19 cases while the majority of students were doing remote learning.
According to the board official, as only special-education students who have made arrangements with the board were attending in-class lessons, identifying schools with individual cases publicly risked breaching the privacy of the affected individuals. If COVID-19 cases were reported to the health unit in individuals who were in schools during this time, any close contacts were still notified by public health officials.
Students will be heading back to in-class learning on Monday, at which time public reporting of individual cases by school boards will resume.