Fraser Health is reporting COVID-19 exposures at three more Delta schools.
On Sunday, Oct. 18, the health authority sent out letters alerting parents at Delta Secondary School in Ladner and Heath Traditional Elementary in North Delta that there had been an individual confirmed to have COVID-19 at each school on Tuesday, Oct. 13.
There is no indication in either letter that the two exposures are related.
Fraser Health’s website also lists an exposure at Hawthorne Elementary in Ladner on Thursday, Oct. 15.
The health authority has initiated contact tracing at the schools to rapidly identify any staff and/or students that need to self-isolate or self-monitor for symptoms and will continue to investigate the exposures.
The health authority will phone staff and students that need to self-isolate for 14 days, and may send letters to others asking them to self-monitor for symptoms. Those who receive the letter may continue to attend the school while they self-monitor.
This is the second exposure at Delta Secondary since school resumed last month. On Sept. 14, the Delta School District notified parents at DSS that someone who had been at the school on Sept. 11 — the second full day of instruction this school year — had tested positive for COVID-19.
Meanwhile, an entire class at Richardson Elementary has been told to self-isolate following an exposure at the school earlier in the month.
Parents were notified that “a member of the Richardson Elementary community” had tested positive for COVID-19 in a letter from principal Patricia Wilson on Wednesday, Oct. 14.
The individual attended the school on Oct. 1, 5, 6, 8 and 9, and is now self-isolating at home.
READ MORE: COVID-19 exposure reported at second North Delta elementary school
In a subsequent letter on Oct. 16, Wilson advised parents that based on contact tracing, Fraser Health has instructed one class to self-isolate at home.
“If you have been contacted by Fraser Health Authority, please follow their advice,” Wilson wrote. “If you have not been contacted by Fraser Health, your child should still continue to attend school.
As a reminder to all parents, please continue to monitor your child for symptoms using the Daily Health Check, and do not send them to school if they are unwell.”
Wilson said the school will be reaching out to the affected class to provide learning support to students while they are self-isolating.
Wednesday’s news of the COVID-19 exposure at Richardson followed another at Jarvis Traditional Elementary announced four days earlier.
According to a letter to parents dated Oct. 10, an individual with COVID-19 was at Jarvis on Monday, Oct. 5 and Wednesday, Oct. 7. The letter said the case had been isolated and there is no direct exposure risk at this time.
Fraser Health defines an exposure as a single person with lab-confirmed COVID-19 infection who attended school during their infectious period.
By contrast, a cluster is defined two or more individuals with lab-confirmed COVID-19 infection who attended school during their infectious period and whose cases may be linked to school-based transmission. An outbreak refers to multiple individuals with lab-confirmed COVID-19 infection when transmission is likely widespread within the school setting.
In all cases, public health will investigate, interview the person or persons and conduct contact tracing.
For more information about COVID-19, visit fraserhealth.com/COVID-19.
editor@northdeltareporter.com
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