Wondering about COVID-19 exposures in your child’s school?
Here’s what New Westminster parents will – and won’t – see coming their way to keep them informed about the presence of the virus in schools during the 2021/22 school year.
(The following is based on information from Fraser Health that was posted by the New Westminster school district and emailed to families, plus details provided by provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry during an Aug. 31 briefing.)
Will I be notified if there's a COVID case at my child's school?
Unlike the 2020/21 school year, B.C. health officials will not be sending general exposure notifications to schools – which last year were sent in the form of blanket emails to school populations, plus phone calls from principals, as well as a running list of school exposures at the Fraser Health website.
Last year, those notifications covered all “exposures,” meaning that someone associated with a school (student or staff) had tested positive for COVID-19 and was deemed to have been at the school during their infectious period.
Who will be notified in the event of a COVID case?
As per last year, public health will investigate each positive COVID-19 case associated with a school. If a student or staff member is found to have “close contacts” in the school, public health will notify those people who need to take a specific action – such as self-monitoring for symptoms or self-isolating for 14 days.
What if there's an outbreak?
Fraser Health says broader school communities will be notified “when appropriate,” such as in the case of an outbreak, and that information will be posted to its website.
Dr. Bonnie Henry said every outbreak and “cluster” – meaning a group of cases occurring in the same school that may be connected – will be made public.
“We will absolutely be keeping the schools informed and working with the schools, with our school response teams, to make sure that every single case in the school setting is identified and the contacts are managed and that people are informed of what’s happening in the school setting,” she said.
Why the change from last year?
Henry said the decision was made to get rid of general exposure notifications because the general letters were causing anxiety.
“We’ve heard very clearly from people that the majority of people felt that the school-based letters were more anxiety-provoking than helpful,” she said.
What if my child is required to isolate and miss school?
Fraser Health said schools will ensure that students who are required to self-isolate will be able to continue learning.
“Where need may arise, know that we continue to be deeply committed to ensuring the continuity of learning for our students and families, as we all continue to work through this health crisis together,” the New Westminster school district said in its email to families.
Where can I find information about health and safety protocols?
New Westminster parents can find links to COVID-19-related information – including the daily health checks and the district’s updated COVID-19 Communicable Disease Plan – at the New Westminster Schools website.
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