The Muskoka Dance Academy in Huntsville has confirmed one of its students has tested positive for COVID-19, but almost a week AFTER attending classes there.
In an email to Country 102, MDA’s Artistic Director Sue Kirwin-Campbell states:
“The Muskoka Dance Academy was notified on Tuesday September 22nd by Public Health (SMDHU) of a positive COVID test result in the area. We were notified because we were listed as a potential tracing contact. The student was said to have attended classes on Wednesday September 16th, six days prior to receiving their results. We confirmed the classes being listed were in fact classes we offered on Wednesdays. We also confirmed our screening process had shown no students with symptoms had entered the building.
The Muskoka Dance Academy was thoroughly investigated for potential transmission by the SMDHU and assured there was no need to continue contact tracing on our end. The Muskoka Dance Academy was not considered a source and the strict protocols in place deemed the Dance Studio a low risk for transmission. We were not privy to the identity, details and/or personal information about the student in question. We informed all staff and registered families about the events while respecting the privacy of the student in question. We have no more information to report related to this incident.
Important facts about the MDA:
The Muskoka Dance Academy is not currently open for public access and is operating as a private dance institution. Most dancers are registered for a 10-month term. Trial classes are by appointment only. MDA dance teachers and registered dancers are the only ones that have access to the MDA facility unless a child needs assistance and are thoroughly screened.
All registered MDA families were directly notified after the Muskoka Dance Academy was contacted by the SMDHU due to the possibility of contact tracing from this positive COVID result. With the help of SMDHU we were able to provide the necessary information needed to allow families to make individual choices for their children. We made ourselves easily available for conversations and/or concerns about the risks of COVID and the protocols we have implemented to help reduce the risk of transmission. We continue to be transparent with our clients on all fronts. We trust our protocols for dancing safely in our facility. We have not been notified of anything further.
We do not use Public Media, Facebook and/or Instagram as a forum for communicating information that directly affects our families. A Media Press Release regarding this situation was thought only to be vague, disrespectful to the privacy of the student involved and unnecessary. We were deemed a low risk for transmission inside the facility by the SMDHU and not a source for the virus. The book was closed for further tracing at the Academy.”
Country 102 was first contacted about the positive case, after a letter from the Muskoka Dance Academy was recently being shared on Facebook. For more details, please click here.