The latest school with a variant is Dr. Charles Best

Coquitlam school flagged for COVID-19 variant as province toughens restrictions to curb spread

Dr. Charles Best had a COVID-19 case identified as a variant of concern, one of 2,233 variant cases as of Monday, March 29; contact tracing now underway with families to get called if someone was directly exposed

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Students at Dr. Charles Best prepare for the first day of classes in September, 2020. On March 28, 2021, Fraser Health said someone had tested positive with a variant of COVID 19 and was at the school March 18, 19. Stefan Labbé photo

Families of students attending Dr. Charles Best secondary school in Coquitlam have been informed that someone tested positive with a COVID-19 variant of concern and was at the school on March 18, 19.

Although the variant isn’t specified, the early exposure notice sent on March 28 said that contact tracing is underway to determine who may have been directly exposed to the individual.

The letter from Fraser Health stated that any staff or students who are determined to have been in close contact with the case will receive a phone call or letter from Public Health with instructions to self-isolate.

In addition, some staff or students may be asked to self-monitor for symptoms of COVID-19.

The concern about variants comes as B.C. introduces a stronger mask policy in schools, with the B.C. Ministry of Health requiring masks for students in Grades 4 and up, even when they’re with their learning group.

Students in Kindergarten up to Grade 3 will not be required to wear masks, however the province recommends they do.

On Monday, March 29, Dr. Bonnie Henry stated the variants of concern continue to circulate in B.C. and also beefed up provincial health orders by closing dine-in at restaurants, and indoor fitness and church meetings to curb the province’s growing caseload of COVID-19 cases.

"There have been 321 new confirmed COVID-19 cases that are variants of concern in our province, for a total of 2,233 cases. Of the total cases, 413 are active and the remaining people have recovered. This includes 1,915 cases of the B.1.1.7 (U.K.) variant, 48 cases of the B.1.351 (South Africa) variant and 270 cases of the P.1 (Brazil) variant,” Henry said in a statement.

According to Henry, there is some evidence that the COVID-19 variant health outcomes can be worse. She has also expressed less certainty that vaccines will protect against the P.1 strain.

Here are the School District 43 school exposures to March 30. (School District 43 is currently in its second week of spring break)

— with files from Glen Korstrom

COQUITLAM

• Panorama Heights elementary: March 16, 18,19

• Greater Heights Learning Academy: March 16

• Centennial: March 17,18

• Scott Creek: March 16,17, 18

• Gleneagle: March 17, 18, 19

Dr. Charles Best: March 18,19

PORT COQUITLAM

• Castle Park elementary: March 17,18

• Cedar Drive elementary: March 17,18,19