WEST VANCOUVER, B.C. -- When a case of COVID-19 was confirmed at Caulfield Elementary in West Vancouver on Sept. 26, an entire Grade 2 class was told to self-isolate.

And that was just the beginning.

"Eventually, as far as we know, eight kids have tested positive since the first case was announced," said Coralynn Gehl, whose son attends the school. "Two of those children have had siblings who've tested positive, one of whom was a student at Rockridge Secondary, and there have been five parents and two grandparents."

Parents only found out about the related cases on social media.

"It's the job of the health authority to share the information that makes people feel comfortable sending their kids to school," said Gehl.

So she wrote a letter to provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry asking for more transparency about the number of school cases.

But the provincial health officer says patient confidentially is key.

"We have to find that balance that doesn't identify people and make sure people are confident they're going to be protected if they have been a case, if they've been exposed, so we have to be careful on that, and how that is given out publicly," said Dr. Henry.

Gehl says she believes that's an excuse, "bcause again, no one's asking for names, no one's asking for ages or even classrooms. As parents we would like to know how many positive cases there have been in our school."

Gehl's letter to Dr. Henry has been signed by 2,000 other parents as of Tuesday. It's also asking for changes to how positive cases are handled in school.

"What we want is: as soon as a positive test is registered, the entire cohort is notified and sent home to self-isolate until Vancouver Coastal Health can figure out who is a possible contact and who is safe to go back to school," she said. She also thinks siblings of those students should have to self-isolate.

"It doesn't make sense that a student in Grade 2 that is asked to self-isolate because they are possible contact might have one, or two or three other siblings in the school to continue to interact with other kids."

A Grade 5 class at Caulfield Elementary is also self-isolating, while a number of students recover from COVID-19.

"One of those students had to be hospitalized for four days," said Gehl. "She's still on medications. She's tired but she's feeling better, but obviously it was terrifying for her family."

The Grade 2 students' parents have signed the letter, Gehl said, adding, "Her mom is really interested in making sure it doesn't happen to any more families in B.C."