Thursday April 8, 2021 | GREATER VICTORIA AREA, BC
by Mary P Brooke, B.Sc., Editor | Island Social Trends
Today two south Vancouver Island middle schools — Dunsmuir Middle School in SD62/Colwood and Cedar Hill Middle School in SD61/Victoria have had their COVID Exposure status upgraded to Cluster.
That’s posted on the Island Health School Exposures page.
Both schools show exposure dates as March 29, 30, 31 & April 1.
Definitions:
- 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-19 school notification process:
As posted on the Island Health school exposures page, if Island Health receives a positive COVID-19 test result, a rigorous protocol is followed:
- Contact tracing is initiated to determine how the individual was infected and who they were in close contact with.
- We identify and notify close contacts who may be at an increased risk, and advise them to self-isolate and monitor for symptoms for 14 days.
- If COVID-19 is identified in a student or staff and it is determined they were not at school when they were infectious, no public notification will be provided because there is no exposure to report.
- Only Public Health Nurses and Medical Health Officers determine who is a close contact. Learning groups, friends or other connections may not be determined to be a close contact.
- Public Health staff work closely with the school and school district throughout the case and contact management process to maintain close communication with the school community.
