Sunday April 11, 2021 | LANGFORD, BC [Update at 8:55 pm – now 19 schools, adding Esquimalt High to the list]
by Mary P Brooke, B.Sc., Editor | Island Social Trends
As of Saturday evening April 10, there are 18 — a record number — of COVID-19 school exposures on Vancouver Island, including two that in recent days were escalated to clusters.
The impact is on students, families and teachers to varying degrees in a number of school districts including SD61 (Greater Victoria), SD62 (Sooke / West Shore), SD68 (Nanaimo), SD69 (Qualicum) and SD79 (Cowichan Valley).
As of Friday April 9, the number of children and youth with test-positive COVID test results in Island Health is 726, pandemic-to-date (255 cases up to age 10, and 471 among ages 10 to 19). There are presently 569 active COVID cases on Vancouver Island.
Exposures & Clusters:
Exposures can develop into clusters or further to an outbreak. Here are the public health definitions as posted by Island Health:
- Exposure: The presence of lab confirmed COVID-19 case(s) in the school during the period of communicability.
- Cluster: Two or more confirmed cases within a 14-day period, with evidence of transmission occurring within the school.
- Outbreak: Multiple confirmed cases within a 14-day period, with evidence of ongoing transmission occurring within the school and the school medical health officer has determined exceptional measures are required to prevent further transmission of COVID-19.
In all of these cases, public health will investigate, interview the case and conduct contact tracing. If you do not receive a phone call or letter from Public Health, your child should continue to attend school. Please follow the instructions of the local school administration and Public Health.
Where the exposures are:
As of early Sunday morning April 11, 2021, the list of schools currently impacted by COVID exposures (including two as clusters) is this:
Greater Victoria – SD61
Arbutus Middle School (exposure April 1)
Cedar Hill Middle (cluster – exposures on March 29, 30, 31 & April 1)
Colquitz Middle (exposure April 6)
Esquimalt High (exposure April 7, 8 & 9)
Frank Hobbs Elementary (exposure April 7)
Glanford Middle School (exposure April 7)
Mount Douglas Secondary (exposure April 6)
Oak Bay High (exposure March 30)
Oaklands Elementary (exposure – March 29, 30, 31)
victoria High School (exposure April 6 & 7)
Sooke / West Shore – SD62
Belmont Secondary (exposure – March 31, April 1 & 6)
Dunsmuir Middle (cluster – exposures on March 29, 30, 31 & April 1)
Edward Milne Community School (exposure April 7)
Nanaimo-Ladysmith – SD68
Fairview Elementary (exposure – April 9)
Nanaimo District Secondary (exposure March 29, 30, 31 & April 1)
Wellington Secondary (exposure March 29, 30)
Qualicum – SD69
Bellenas Secondary (exposure – March 31, April 1 & 6)
Kwalikum Secondary (exposure – March 29, 30, 31 & April 1)
Cowichan Valley – SD79
Drinkwater Elementary (exposure April 6, 7 & 8)
