Students and staff members of a school in Courtenay have been informed by Island Health that five additional COVID-19 cases have been connected to the facility.
George P. Vanier Secondary, located at 4830 Headquarters Road in Courtenay, was initially added to Island Health’s Exposure in Schools list last Friday, with the health authority cautioning the community of possible exposures on Feb. 16 and 17.
On Tuesday, Feb. 23, Island Health informed the school district of an additional exposure at the facility as well.
In a letter to families, the Comox Valley School District (SD71) said that five additional members of the community had tested positive for the virus.
The letter says the new exposures mean that 23 students and one staff member will now be required to go into quarantine and self-isolate for two weeks.
This is in addition to the 66 school community members who were already involved in isolation protocols due to exposures at the facility, according to a previous letter.
The district notes that school district custodial staff conducted “terminal cleaning of the affected classrooms and common areas” on Tuesday night.
The Comox Valley School District stated in the letter that “the individuals who tested positive did not contract COVID-19” on school grounds.
“Island Health commends the strong, effective protocols that we have implemented across our district as effectively protecting staff and preventing further exposures,” reads a statement in the letter.
Parents, students and staff of another school in the Comox Valley were warned about possible exposure to the novel coronavirus on Tuesday night as well.
Island Health has added Ecole au-Coeur-de-L’isle, located on Linshart Road in Comox, to its COVID-19 exposure list, with potential exposure dates of Feb. 16 and 17.
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