Island Health has declared a new COVID-19 exposure connected to a school in Victoria.
A notice posted on the Island Health website says that the latest exposure in a local school took place on Nov. 23 at Sir James Douglas Elementary, located at 401 Moss Street.
The school offers classes to students in Kindergarten to Grade 5 as well as Early French Immersion programs. In total, Sir James Douglas Elementary says it teaches approximately 450 children on an annual basis.
The person who tested positive is isolating and the health authority says it is completing contact tracing to identify students or staff that need to self-isolate or self-monitor for symptoms.
This marks the third school in the city to have a COVID-19 exposure currently posted on Island Health’s School Exposures page. The other two include Lakeview Christian School (Nov. 16) and Victoria School For Ideal Education (Nov. 16-17).
According to Island Health, exposure is defined as a single person with a lab-confirmed COVID-19 infection who attended school during their infectious period.
A cluster is when two or more individuals with a lab-confirmed COVID-19 infection attended school during their infectious period. The cases may be linked to school-based transmission.
And an outbreak is when multiple individuals with lab-confirmed COVID-19 infection when transmission is likely widespread within the school setting.
According to Island Health, if a parent or guardian sees a notification on the Island Health school exposure site does not necessarily mean their child has been exposed to COVID-19.
Island Health said Public Health members work with the school and school district to ensure close contacts are notified directly and provided specific guidance.
If a parent or guardian does not receive a phone call or letter from Public Health, a child can continue to attend school, Island Health said.
In a letter sent out to parents, students and staff, the school district says that even if parents do not receive a call, they should still monitor their child for symptoms over the next 14 days.
You can monitor your child for COVID-19 symptoms daily using the daily health check form. A self-assessment tool is also available at bc.thrive.health.
Graham Cox
