The transmission of COVID-19 may be dropping in the Tri-Cities corner of Fraser Health, but Coquitlam area schools continue to see coronavirus exposures, according to the latest information published by the health authority.
Since Saturday, Fraser Health has added seven Coquitlam schools — six elementary schools and one secondary school — to its list of exposure events where someone who tested positive may have been infectious on school grounds.
It also added a Port Coquitlam elementary, a middle school and a private secondary school.
The list shows continuing exposure in School District 43 schools through the end of November and early December — but no in-school clusters or outbreaks.
Earlier this week, Alderson elementary school in Coquitlam was flagged with a COVID-19 exposure for Nov. 30, Dec, 1 and 2.
At the time, the Tri-City News reported exposures at several more schools based on notifications from School District 43. Exposure dates for these schools have since been added to the Fraser Health school exposure web portal: Parkland elementary on Nov. 30, Walton Elementary on Dec. 1, 2, both in Coquitlam.
New this week, is Nestor elementary in Coquitlam, which has been notified of an exposure on Dec. 1 and Pinetree secondary Coquitlam was reported to have an exposure date Dec. 1.
Other schools added to the Fraser Health website are: Gleneagle secondary school in Coquitlam, with exposure dates of Dec, 1, 2 and 3, and Mundy Road elementary in Coquitlam with exposures Dec. 1, 2, and 4.
In Port Coquitlam Kwayhquitlum middle in school had an exposure Nov. 25, 26 and 27 and James Park elementary had an exposure Nov. 30, Dec. 1 and Dec. 2.
Meanwhile, as previously reported, the Port Coquitlam private school Archbishop Carney Regional Secondary is reported as having an exposure Nov. 25 and Nov. 26.
Fraser Health currently lists 11 schools with active exposure investigation across School District 43’s jurisdiction, plus one regional private school.
According to the health authority, a school “exposure” usually indicates a single person with a lab-confirmed COVID-19 infection attended school during their infectious period.
A school “cluster,” on the other hand, indicates possible school-based transmission with two or more lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 attending school while infectious, and an “outbreak” indicates “multiple individuals with lab-confirmed COVID-19 infection” and that “transmission is likely widespread.”
The information comes as Fraser Health has announced it will be sharing information that should help families know if their child has been near someone who later tested positive for COVID-19.
In what the health authority describes as a “streamlined” process to “help reduce anxiety for the school community,” that generic notification will now be replaced with one of three letters:
1. Early notification letter (exposed): For potentially exposed individuals, cohorts and classes. The letter will indicate students should come to school and monitor for symptoms.
2. Early notification letter (not exposed): For those in another cohort or class which was not exposed but who may have been at the facility during the specified exposure period.
3. Early notification letter (general): For an individual not in a specific cohort who may or may not have been exposed to an infectious person. This may include someone like a school counsellor.
— With files from Stefan Labbé
