Students return to school on Northern Peninsula after delayed start due to COVID-19 cluster

Tuesday marked the first day of classes for three schools on the Northern Peninsula after a cluster of COVID-19 cases in the region forced a delayed reopening for cautionary purposes. 

The affected schools were Cloud River Academy in Roddickton-Bide Arm, H.G. Fillier Academy in Englee and Mary Simms All Grade in Main Brook. 

As of Monday, 15 COVID-19 cases were connected to the cluster, and the Department of Health says it's continuing contact tracing. A portion of the Northern Peninsula moved to Alert Level 3 of the province's public health restrictions strategy last week. The remainder of the province is in Alert Level 2. 

Stephanie Fillier, a mother of a Grade 9 student and a Grade 11 student, told CBC Radio's Newfoundland Morning she hopes things will quickly pass as students return to class under "high alert."

Fillier is also mayor of Englee.

"We were supposed to go back, basically, mostly unmasked," she said. 

"We were supposed to be allowed microwave use. Last year we had to go through all year without microwave use.... It's a bit tricky when it comes to trying to keep meals warm."