Home Education Schools during COVID-19 Now 18 COVID exposures in Vancouver Island schools

Now 18 COVID exposures in Vancouver Island schools

Affecting schools in SD61, SD62, SD68, SD69 & SD79

masks, school, COVID
In BC schools as of March 29, 2021 students in Grades 4 to 12 are required to wear face masks at all times due to the COVID pandemic.
BC 2024 Provincial Election news analysis

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.

ages, covid, island health
As of April 9, 2021 there have been 726 cases of COVID among children and youth in Island Health. [BC CDC]

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.

COVID exposures, schools
On April 8, two middle schools in the south Vancouver Island area had their Exposure status upgraded to Cluster by Island 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)

OakTree Naturals, banner ad, 2021
OakTree Naturals is centrally located on Goldstream Avenue in Langford.