COVID-19 has remained stubbornly persistent in the Tri-Cities over the past two weeks with elevated case counts and three schools reporting exposures on multiple days over a two-week period, new figures show.
With spring break entering its second week in School District 43, school exposures are expected to drop.
However, with the coronavirus still circulating — and rising to levels not seen in B.C. since November — it’s not yet known if local case counts are dropping this week. However, last week, March 14-20 as many as 223 people tested positive, an increase of more than 5% over the previous week when there were 212, according to the latest data from the BC Centre for Disease Control.
In B.C., meanwhile, case counts rose to a stunning 800 on Thursday, March 25, — the most since Dec. 2.
Overall in the region, the Tri-Cities continues to be among the regions with the highest number of case counts, after Surrey (946). The next hardest hit city last week was Burnaby, with 210.
In Port Coquitlam, one of the hardest hit schools is Cedar Drive elementary, which had someone on school grounds test positive on several days over a two-week period.
The most recent dates for test positive cases at the school, located at 3150 Cedar Drive, was March 17, 18, and 19, but there were also cases at the school on four days the week of March 8 to 12.
In Coquitlam, Panorama Heights, located at 1455 Johnston Street, had a test positive case on school grounds for four days last week, March 15 to 19, as well as two dates the previous week, March 8 and 9, but those dates are outside the 14-day infection period and no longer on Fraser Health’s school exposure page.
MULTIPLE EXPOSURE DATES FOR THESE TRI-CITY SCHOOLS
In Port Moody, Moody middle school, located at 130 Buller Street, had exposure dates over two weeks, too: March 11, 12 and 19.
Other schools flagged with COVID-19 exposure last week include Centennial secondary (March 17); Scott Creek middle (March 16,17,18) and Gleneagle secondary (March 17, 18, 19), Castle Park elementary (March 17,18) and Kwayhquitlum middle school (March 15,16,18)
An independent school in Coquitlam, Greater Heights Learning Academy, has also had test positive cases on school grounds over two weeks including March 10, 11, 12 and 16. And in Port Coquitlam, Our Lady of Assumption school had a case flagged on school grounds on March 12.
In Surrey, the hardest hit region in B.C., teachers are getting vaccinated, while Coquitlam area teachers can expect to get vaccinated starting in April when the province’s COVID-19 Workplace Task Group will begin vaccinating a variety of priority groups as additional doses of the AstraZeneca start arriving.
RELIGIOUS GROUPS ALLOWED TO WORSHIP TOGETHER IN NEW HEALTH ORDERS
Despite the rising case count, religious bodies can hold up to four days of indoor religious services between March 28 and May 13. Before, during and after the service, people must not gather or socially engage. (Weddings, baptisms and indoor funerals are not included.)
For these indoor services, up to 50 people may attend or 10% of the worship space capacity, whichever is less. For example, if the capacity of the church is 400 people, 40 people may attend, according to the latest provincial health orders.
As well, religious worship services may be held outdoors (including in open-sided tents and under overhead coverings) and up to 50 people may attend, plus two extra people to make sure rules are followed. But no social gatherings are allowed before, during or after the service.
SCHOOL EXPOSURE CASES
Here’s the list of school exposures to March 26.
COQUITLAM
• Panorama Heights elementary: March 15,16, 18,19
• Smiling Creek elementary: March 11
• Porter Street elementary: March 8
• Ranch Park elementary: March 10
• Winslow Centre: March 9
• Greater Heights Learning Academy (independent): March 12, 16
• Centennial: March 17
• Scott Creek: March 16,17, 18
• Gleneagle: March 17, 18, 19
PORT COQUITLAM
• Castle Park elementary: March 12, 17,18
• Cedar Drive elementary: March 12,17,18, 19
• Kwayhquitlum middle: March 15, 16, 18
• Our Lady of Assumption (independent): March 12
PORT MOODY
• Moody elementary: March 12
• Moody middle: March 12, 19
