A ninth Coquitlam district high school has been flagged over a COVID-19 exposure.
Families of students at Dr. Charles Best secondary received early notification letters from Fraser Health Monday, Nov.9, which indicated that a COVID-19 exposure had occurred at their school Nov. 3. However, in another letter sent to parents Nov. 10, more exposure dates were added. Fraser Health is now flagging exposures on Nov. 2, 3 and 4.
Fraser Health has yet to update its school exposure page, but the Tri-City News has seen correspondence sent to parents.
This is the ninth high school in School District 43 to report a COVID-19 exposure. Of the 11 secondary schools across the district, all the major facilities have now reported at least one exposure to the virus.
According to Fraser Health, a school “exposure” indicates a single person with a lab-confirmed COVID-19 infection attended school during their infectious period.
A school “cluster,” on the other hand, indicates possible school-based transmission with two or more lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 attending school while infectious.
Finally, an “outbreak” at a school means “multiple individuals with lab-confirmed COVID-19 infection” and that “transmission is likely widespread.”
Fraser Health school exposures:
Map by Gary McKenna/Tri-City News
The latest exposure notification came the same day health officials said a total of 998 cases had been reported across the province over the weekend, a number which represents a shift from a linear, predictable rise in case numbers to exponential growth.
Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry announced Saturday two weeks of sweeping new restriction across the Lower Mainland sections of the Vancouver Coastal and Fraser health authorities.
Social gatherings are now limited to immediate members of a household and businesses are now being asked to review their health and safety plans to ensure compliance.
Others, like group fitness facilities running yoga and spin classes were immediately required to close until Nov. 23 when the temporary orders expire. Party bus and limousine services are to halt operations indefinitely.
Municipalities across the Tri-Cities have responded by rolling back civic programming that breached the group fitness orders and city halls are reviewing their offerings to the public. In Port Coquitlam, bylaw officers conducted a sweep of local businesses over the weekend after receiving a direct request from Fraser Health to do so.
