VANCOUVER -- Three schools in the Fraser Health region are closing for two weeks amid a surge in COVID-19 cases in the health authority.
Fraser Health announced Saturday that it has declared an outbreak of COVID-19 at Cambridge Elementary School in Surrey and advised the local school district to close the facility for two weeks.
The health authority also said it was monitoring two "clusters" of coronavirus cases at schools in the region, one at Jarvis Elementary School in Delta and the other at Al-Hidayah School, an independent school in New Westminster.
While Fraser Health did not order or advise those schools to close, each one has decided to "functionally close" for a two-week period "due to the staffing challenges presented by the cluster," the health authority said.
There are seven cases of COVID-19 associated with the Cambridge Elementary outbreak, six cases associated with the Jarvis Elementary cluster and eight cases associated with the Al-Hidayah School cluster, according to Fraser Health.
Surrey school district superintendent Jordan Tinney announced the Cambridge Elementary outbreak before the health authority did, sharing a letter to the school community on his Twitter account.
"Fraser Health believes this two-week period will break the spread and transmission of the disease," the letter reads.
The school is scheduled to reopen on Monday, Nov. 30.
"We recognize that this has been a stressful time as you wait for further information, and appreciate the fact that this closure will cause disruption and inconvenience for many," Tinney's letter reads. "The safety of our school community is of utmost importance and we appreciate your patience and understanding."
The superintendent's letter advises recipients to expect details on at-home learning during the closure to be provided on Sunday.
