The Norwal virus has found its way to Porter Creek Secondary School, where three students have been confirmed by their parents to have the virus.

Whitehorse General Hospital has restricted visitor access since last week due to an associated Norwal virus outbreak.

Due to the outbreak, the Department of Education has asked that should school officials notice an increase in the number of absent students, or kids showing signs of gastrol intestinal problems, they should inform the department, Dave Sloan, the director of learning for area two, said in an interview today.

On Wednesday, school principal Kerry Huff contacted the department to let officials know one student was out sick with the Norwal virus and another was showing signs of the sickness.

Then on Thursday, the department sent information to the schools along with a precautionary measures which can be taken to deal with the virus, such as ways to clean and the importance of washing hands.

'We also sent that information to our folks in property management,' said Sloan, noting it will give the government's property management officials information on cleaning the schools.

Schools have also been sent the information, with many passing it on to students to take home either through newsletters or as an information sheet.

As of late Thursday afternoon, there were three cases confirmed at the school.

Sloan noted the department is taking its direction from the public health branch.

With only three of more than 700 students confirmed as having the virus, there are currently no plans to close the school, though the situation is continuing to be monitored, Sloan said.

It's expected the cases will also crop up at other schools, he said.

'We monitoring the situation,' Yukon medical health officer Bryce Larke said this morning.

He pointed out that even at Nova Scotia's St. Francis Xavier University, where there was more of an outbreak recently, classes continued to be held.

'I'm not aware it's become more of a few cases,' said Larke. He pointed out it's more of a concern in closed institutions like hospitals or long-term care facilities, where residents may already be frail or ill.

For the general population, a Norwal virus is more of a 48-hour illness that is also cropping up in other locations.

'It has an enormous irritant value,' Larke said.