OTTAWA -- Some parents in Ottawa are raising concerns about how long it’s taking for them to be told about a positive COVID-19 case at their child’s school and how they’re learning about it.

Tanya Renaud says she and other parents learned about a staff member’s positive test result through the grapevine over the weekend but official confirmation only came on Tuesday through a letter from Ottawa Public Health (OPH).

"Why weren’t the parents not warned until two days later, that’s crazy, that’s such a long period, that’s unsettling," Renaud says.

"Now these kids have gone to school for two days in a situation where any one of them have had direct contact in this class and they have siblings, they took the bus."

The Ottawa Catholic School Board says it has to wait for direction from OPH before it can share any information.

While it didn’t address this specific case, OPH says "the vast majority of the time, it is OPH that notifies school administrations that someone has received a positive test in their school.”

The statement goes on to say, "It is very important that the right information reach the right people in order to ensure minimal disruptions for those attending school, and that those needing to self-isolate are instructed to do so only when necessary."

Still, Renaud hopes the policy will change so parents can be informed as quickly as possible.

"They should’ve enabled the school to at least give a courtesy warning," she says. "You don’t have to give details, you don’t have to give names or anything, you just have to warn the parents so they can make the decision whether or not they send their child to that school or not the next day."