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Interior Health adds more North Okangan-Shuswap schools to COVID-19 exposures list

Two schools removed from health authority’s list, several added
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As of Oct. 5 there were nine schools within School District 83 on Interior Health’s list for potential COVID-19 exposures. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson)

More North Okanagan-Shuswap schools have been added to Interior Health’s list of potential COVID-19 school exposures.

As of Tuesday, Oct. 5, there were nine schools on the health authority’s website listing schools where a staff member or student has tested positive for COVID-19.

Schools within School District 83 on the list as of Monday morning, Oct. 4, included: Pleasant Valley Secondary School in Armstrong, with potential exposures on Sept. 20 and 21, South Broadview and Bastion elementary schools in Salmon Arm, Sept. 24, Parkview Elementary in Sicamous, Sept. 23 and 24, and Len Wood Middle School, Sept. 21, 22 and 23.

Schools since added to the list include: M.V. Beattie Elementary in Enderby, with potential exposures on Sept. 21, 22, 23, 24 and 27, Sorrento Elementary, Sept. 22, 23, 24, 27, 28 and 29, Grindrod Elementary, Sept. 27, and Carlin Elementary Middle School, Sept. 24.

Shuswap Middle School in Salmon Arm and A.L. Fortune Secondary in Enderby, which were on the list on Oct. 4, have been removed (schools are removed 14 days after exposure date).

IH also reports potential COVID-19 exposures at independent schools. King’s Christian School in Salmon Arm was on the list, with potential exposures on Sept. 21, 22 and 23.

According to the health authority, when a school staff member or student tests positive for COVID-19, public health notifies staff and students who need to take a specific action, such as self-monitoring or isolation.

Parents, caregivers and families are notified by public health if their child was determined to be in close contact with the individual(s) who tested positive.

Interior Health posts exposure notifications when a staff member or student attended a school while infectious and there is a possible risk of exposure to COVID-19.

During the 2020/21 school year, parents of students in School District 83 would receive notifications via email of potential exposures. For this school year, the provincial health officer determined general notification letters weren’t necessary for a single or a small number of exposures. Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry commented the notifications were more “anxiety provoking than helpful.”

Read more: Seven schools on potential COVID-19 exposures list in North Okanagan-Shuswap

Read more: Vernon and Lumby schools added to COVID-19 exposures



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