KITCHENER -- There has been a confirmed case of COVID-19 in a Cambridge kindergarten student.
In a news release, St. Anne Catholic Elementary School said Region of Waterloo Public Health officials reported a case in a kindergarten class at the school.
"Public health is in the process of contacting all high risk contacts of the positive case by end of the business day tomorrow, and will provide individual guidance to them," a letter to parents sent on Wednesday read in part.
The school said anyone not contacted by public health officials isn't considered a high-risk contact.
"We have been notified of a confirmed case of COVID-19 in a WCDSB school in Cambridge," Region of Waterloo Public Health confirmed to CTV Kitchener in a statement.
"The individual is a student. We have investigated and identified all high risk contacts and will be following up with them individually to provide further guidance. In this case, an entire class as well as certain contacts on the school bus have been asked to self-isolate and get tested."
Chantele Ristovski said the case was identified in her daughter's class. Olivia, five, is now at home with brother Landon, nine.
They booked COVID-19 tests on Thursday, but their mother decided the family would self-isolate for 14 days, even if they receive a negative test result on Thursday.
"We need to stop the spread, not continue it. That's why we decided," she said, noting that symptoms can take between five and 14 days to develop. "I guess my parents will be doing our grocery shopping."
READ MORE: A student in her child's kindergarten class got COVID-19. Now their family is in self-isolation
Ristovski said there are 15 children in her daughter's kindergarten class.
She called the experience shocking and anxiety-inducing, saying that she never expected it to happen to her.
"It's something you think is not going to happen and in reality it's going to, and it has," she said.
The Waterloo Catholic District School Board said the school won't be closed because of the COVID-19 case.
The WCDSB said there are Clorox disinfecting machines coming to the school on Thursday and staff will be available to clean the school before students arrive.
"Please know that St. Anne as well as staff at our school board head office is working with Region of Waterloo Public Health to prevent further spread of COVID-19 in students, staff and the community," the letter said.
No other information will be provided about the case to protect the person's identity. The school said it would contact families if an entire cohort needed to self-isolate or a school needed to close. Parents and caregivers are asked to monitor and screen for COVID-19 symptoms daily.
This is the second case identified in a Waterloo Region school, but the first in a student. The other case was identified as a staff member at Edna Staebler Public School in Waterloo.
MORE THAN 20 CASES IN WATERLOO REGION'S CHILDREN
There have been more than 1,500 cases of COVID-19 in Waterloo Region to date.
Of those, 24 have been identified in children under nine, with another 61 in the next age range up from 10 to 19. While that age range includes some adult years, the region's COVID-19 dashboard doesn't differentiate beyond that.
More than 80 cases of the disease have been identified in the region in the last two weeks.
