Sandy Bay First Nation will close their school for at least two weeks over COVID-19 coronavirus concerns.

In a memo sent to parents Thursday the First Nation, which is 130 km northwest of Winnipeg on the shores of Lake Manitoba, cancelled classes starting Friday.

“This closure is at the direction of Sandy Bay First Nation Chief and Council. There will be no school tomorrow, and no school for the next two weeks,” reads the statement signed by principal Todd Butler.

Isaac Beaulieu Memorial School, which has more than 900 students in grades K-12 according to their website, will stay closed until at least March 27.

This is believed to be the first school in Manitoba to cancel classes outright in the wake of the novel coronavirus. In Ontario, Premier Doug Ford shut down all schools Thursday until after spring break in April.

The province of Manitoba recorded its first three cases of COVID-19 Thursday.

Some schools in Winnipeg have sent out notices to parents in the past weeks about hand-washing and being diligent, but no schools have cancelled classes.

The University of Manitoba and Red River College both said Thursday they are looking at moving classes online, but campuses are still open and classes are still on.

There have been no cases of novel coronavirus reported in Sandy Bay First Nation.

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