Glenbrook Middle School has recorded the New Westminster school district’s first COVID-19 exposure of 2021.
Someone with COVID-19 was in the school on Monday, Jan. 4, according to the Fraser Health school exposures website. That was the first day back following the two-week winter break.
The notice follows one posted Dec. 27, after an exposure was also reported at Glenbrook on Dec. 18 – the final day before winter break. The two exposures were the school’s fifth and sixth of the year.
New Westminster Secondary School, which had two classes sent into isolation just before the winter break began, has not had a listed exposure yet in 2021 – but students were learning remotely last week as the move into the new school building was finalized.
NWSS students are arriving at school this morning for their first week of classes in the new building (near Sixth Street and Eighth Avenue).
As per Fraser Health protocol, an “exposure” means someone who has since tested positive for COVID-19 was in the school during their potentially infectious period. Fraser Health officials conduct contact tracing after exposures to determine who, if anyone, was a close contact of the infected person.
Depending on the nature of the contact, followup letters may be issued for other students or staff to self-monitor or, more rarely, to self-isolate.
So far, according to a report going to school board tomorrow night (Jan. 12), the New Westminster district has issued self-monitor letters in 32 cases, but self-isolation letters have only been sent in connection with one exposure.
