Tuesday November 17, 2020 | VANCOUVER ISLAND
by Mary P Brooke, B.Sc., editor | Island Social Trends
The number of COVID-19 outbreaks in schools on Vancouver Island has increased from two that started last week (both in Nanaimo) to now five — four of those in Nanaimo and one in Ladysmith.
Island Health has posted the details, and says that if your child’s school has been notified of an exposure, then no action is required unless you are contacted by public health officials or you are otherwise directed by school officials.
Here are the outbreak details at November 17, 2020 as posted by Island Health:
School Exposures
| School name | Exposure event | Date |
| Dover Bay Secondary, 6135 McGirr Road Nanaimo | cluster | November 2, 5, 6 |
| John Barsby Secondary 550 Seventh St, Nanaimo | cluster | exposure 1: November 5, 6exposure 2: November 9, 10 |
| Frank J Ney Elementary 5301 Williamson Road Nanaimo | exposure | November 12 |
| Randerson Ridge Elementary 6021 Nelson Road, Nanaimo | cluster | November 4,5,6, 9, 10 |
| Ladysmith Secondary School 710 6th Ave, Ladysmith | exposure | November 9, 10, 12, 13 |
Locations will be removed from the current public exposures list 14 days after the last exposure date, and then archived further down the page.
Definitions:
- Exposure: A single person with lab-confirmed COVID-19 infection who attended school during their infectious period.
- Cluster: Two or more individuals with lab-confirmed COVID-19 infection who attended school during their infectious period. The cases may be linked to school-based transmission.
- Outbreak: Multiple individuals with lab-confirmed COVID-19 infection when transmission is likely widespread within the school setting.
Being contacted by Public Health:
Public Health will contact you directly in case of any school exposure involving your child.
Island Health updates the list when COVID-19 exposures occur within schools in the Island Health region. “Island Health provides this information so that school staff, students and parents can be assured that Public Health is aware and acting upon all detected COVID-19 exposures within schools,” it is stated online.
“If you or your child have been identified as a COVID-19 positive case or close contact, be assured that Island Health’s Public Health team will contact you directly and provide further instruction.”
As always, monitor yourself and your child for symptoms of COVID-19.
