COVID-19 exposures: 184 Lower Mainland schools on health authority lists
The number of COVID-19 exposures in Lower Mainland school continued to climb this week, even as caseloads showed signs of declining province-wide.
As of Friday, there were 184 schools listed on the public exposure notification websites for Fraser Health and Vancouver Coastal Health, an increase from the 167 that were listed as of last Friday.
The vast majority of the exposures listed are in the Fraser Health region, where health officials imposed new restrictions on some communities with higher rates of infection and lower rates of immunization late last month.
Fraser Health's website showed 175 schools with exposure notices over the last two weeks, many of them with multiple exposure dates listed.
B.C. health authorities post public notifications about exposures in schools whenever a student or staff member attends school while infectious and health officials believe there is an increased risk of COVID-19 transmission at the school.
Fraser Health removes schools from its list 14 days after the last date of exposure, meaning many - if not most - of the schools on the list this week were also listed last week.
Vancouver Coastal Health, meanwhile, removes schools from its list four weeks after the last date of exposure. Despite this longer timeframe, the website listed just nine schools on Friday, up from five the week before.
However, last week there were five schools in the health authority listed on the crowdsourced and parent-run BC School COVID Tracker that had not been added to the health authority's list. Some of those have since been added, and only one school added to the crowdsourced tracker over the last week was missing from the VCH list as of Friday.
Asked about the discrepancy between the two health authorities' lists last week, Fraser Health referred CTV News to the provincial Ministry of Health.
The ministry responded on Wednesday with a statement that read, in part:
"B.C.’s regional health authorities are all complying with the provincial health officer’s instructions to post potential exposure events on their websites 'if a person (staff or student) attended school while infectious, and there is increased risk of COVID-19 to the groups they were a part of.'"
"It’s important to note that risk level depends on many factors, including vaccine coverage and background rates of COVID-19 in the community," the statement continued.
The statement also noted that there is sometimes a lag between the notification of parents, teachers and students at a school and the public notification posted on a health authority's website.
"Web postings are for public awareness only, and are updated after an initial investigation is complete, and direct communication with affected individuals has occurred," the ministry said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors ask Liberal government to reconsider capital gains tax change
The Canadian Medical Association is asking the federal government to reconsider its proposed changes to capital gains taxation, arguing it will affect doctors' retirement savings.
Keeping these exotic pets is 'cruel' and 'dangerous,' Canadian animal advocates say
Canadian pet owners are finding companionship beyond dogs and cats. Tigers, alligators, scorpions and tarantulas are among some of the exotic pets they are keeping in private homes, which pose risks to public safety and animal welfare, advocates say.
Prince William and wife Kate thank public for birthday messages for son Louis
Prince William and his wife Kate thanked the public for their messages which had been sent to mark the sixth birthday of their youngest son Louis on Tuesday.
She was the closest she'd ever been to meeting her biological father. Then life dealt her a blow
Anne Marie Cavner was the closest she'd ever been to meeting her biological father, but then life dealt her a blow. From an unexpected loss to a host of new relationships, a DNA test changed her life, and she doesn't regret a thing.
How quietly promised law changes in the 2024 federal budget could impact your day-to-day life
The 2024 federal budget released last week includes numerous big spending promises that have garnered headlines. But, tucked into the 416-page document are also series of smaller items, such as promising to amend the law regarding infant formula and to force banks to label government rebates, that you may have missed.
Which foods have the most plastics? You may be surprised
'How much plastic will you have for dinner, sir? And you, ma'am?' While that may seem like a line from a satirical skit on Saturday Night Live, research is showing it's much too close to reality.
'Catch-and-kill' strategy to be a focus as testimony resumes in Trump hush money case
A veteran tabloid publisher was expected to return to the witness stand Tuesday in Donald Trump's historic hush money trial.
Quebec farmers have been protesting since December. Is anyone listening?
Upset about high interest rates, growing paperwork and heavy regulatory burdens, protesting farmers have become a familiar sight across Quebec since December.
South Korean sentenced to 14 months in jail for killing 76 cats
South Korean man has been sentenced to 14 months in prison for killing 76 cats in one of the country's most gruesome cases of animal cruelty in recent years.