There are no plans to close schools despite growing COVID-19 case counts and four Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam schools identified as having exposures in recent days.
Cedar Drive elementary school in Port Coquitlam is the latest school to have exposures listed on the Fraser Health portal, with exposures on Oct. 26, 27, 28.
It’s one of 27 schools and facilities that have had exposures in School District 43 since school began in September, representing 40% of all facilities as of Nov. 5.
The numbers reflect circulation of the virus in the community. On Wednesday, Nov. 4, for example, 205 of the 355 new cases — about 58% — were reported in the health authority, which stretches form Boston Bar to Burnaby and includes such urban centres at the Tri-Cities, Surrey and Langley.
Still, the exposure numbers haven’t resulted in changes to school protocols.
In speaking to reporters Nov. 4, Fraser Health’s chief medical health officer Dr. Elizabeth Brodkin said that 6% positivity rates of COVID-19 testing in the region — up from below 2% just a month ago — is concerning but closing schools isn’t in the cards.
“We have no plans to close our schools,” Brodkin said, adding: “I want to remind everyone that schools are relatively safe places in the scheme of things. Transmission is less likely to take place in the school setting than in other settings, and there are good public safety plans in place, which have helped to keep the students and their families and the teachers safe.”
In School District 43, where exposures have been flagged at CABE (Coquitlam Alternate Basic Education) in Coquitlam, Gleneagle and Fox secondary schools as well as additional exposures at Pinetree the week of Nov. 1-6, there have been no transmissions between staff or students.
Brodkin noted as much in her comments, as she reaffirmed that school exposures, as with exposures in businesses, and long term care homes, are happening because the virus is circulating in the health region.
“We have seen a very significant number of exposures in our schools but those are only exposures and very few of them have gone on to result in transmission. So the measures that are there are working and we will be keeping our schools open,” Brodkin said.
Since the pandemic started, Fraser Health has dwarfed other health authorities in its COVID-19 caseload. According to provincial health numbers, Fraser Health has recorded 9,439, compared to 5,097 cases of COVID-19 in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, 274 in the Island Health region, 803 in the Interior Health region and 432 in the Northern Health region.
Fraser Health school exposures:
Map by Gary McKenna/Tri-City News
