More schools in Metro Vancouver are reporting cases of COVID-19.
The Surrey School District on Thursday reported a COVID-19 exposure at K.B. Woodward Elementary and Rosemary Heights Elementary. The district had previously reported an exposure at North Surrey Secondary on Wednesday.
Vancouver Coastal Health has reported exposures at Vancouver Technical Secondary and Cedar Walk Program.
Chilliwack Secondary has also confirmed a case.
Parents at Langley’s Gordon Greenwood Elementary were notified of an exposure, the school district said Thursday.
On Thursday, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said she is not overly concerned about the rise in COVID-19 cases for young students in school.
Henry said the number of cases in kids is still much lower than the general population.
New numbers show COVID-19 cases in kids under the age of 10 increased 67 per cent from Sept. 10 to Sept. 30.
For youth between the ages of 10 and 19, cases increased 47 per cent, from 354 to 522.
Henry said the increase in cases should be viewed in the context of a large increase in testing among children.
No outbreaks have been reported in schools yet, Henry said.
“It is a possibility. We have seen it in other places, and we will be watching for that,” she said.
“But we do know our system is working because we are finding cases, we are finding smaller transmission events, and we are isolating people and preventing outbreaks from happening.”
Health officials reported 82 new cases of COVID-19 and one new death on Thursday.
Nearly 11,000 people were tested with a positivity rate of 0.75 per cent.
The total of cases in B.C. now stands at 9,220.
— With files from Simon Little