Fraser Health has added a number of additional COVID-19 exposure dates for a Burnaby elementary school.
Armstrong Elementary has been flagged for Oct. 12, 13, 14, 15, 18, 29, 20 and 21, according to the health authority school exposures list.
During the 2021-22 school year, the B.C. School COVID Tracker Database (which is run by parents with exposures confirmed by letters and public postings) shows there have been at least eight separate exposures at the school.
As of this publication (Oct. 26), there are four Burnaby schools named.
- Armstrong Elementary: Oct. 12, 13, 14, 15, 18, 19, 20, 21
- Burnaby Central Secondary: Oct. 12, 13, 14
- Ecole Sperling Elementary: Oct. 12, 13, 14
- Maywood Community: Oct. 12, 14
If a student or staff member tests positive for the virus, public health says they follow the rigorous steps outlined below.
- Public health will investigate to determine if there were any potential close contacts within the school
- If it is determined that there are close contacts within the school, public health will notify the school administrators and request information to assist with contact tracing and provide guidance on what steps should be taken
- Public health may then:
- Recommend 14-day self-isolation if necessary
- Recommend self-monitoring for symptoms if necessary
- Provide follow-up recommendations if necessary
- Schools will ensure students who are required to self-isolate are able to continue their educational program. Together, schools and public health officials will determine if any other actions are necessary
- Parents, caregivers and families will be notified by public health if their child is determined to be a close contact of a COVID-19 positive person
Fraser Health adds if you don't receive a phone call or letter from public health, children can continue to go to school but they should also be monitored for COVID-19 symptoms daily.
A full list of Burnaby schools with COVID-19 exposure alerts can be found on Fraser Health's website.
BC School COVID Tracker says, according to its own data, there have been 2,083 school exposure events to date province-wide, with 688 schools affected in B.C.
An "exposure" means that someone who has since tested positive for COVID-19 was in the school during their potentially infectious period on the date or dates in question, and that other people may be at risk of having come in contact with the virus. Health officials do not publish the number of cases involved, so it's not known whether the dates involve one person or multiple cases. The public information also does not list whether cases involve staff or students or both.
