Coronavirus: Second COVID-19 case confirmed at Kelowna Secondary School

Updated 6:30 p.m. Oct. 27 to reflect new BC CDC data on COVID-19 cases in IHA in youth since Oct. 12, a day before virus exposure occurred at Kelowna francophone school. 

The Interior Health Authority has confirmed a second case of COVID-19 at Kelowna Secondary School.

A member of the school’s community acquired the virus from a household member and is unrelated to the first case announced on Sunday, according to a School District 23 spokesperson.

The person who tested positive for the novel coronavirus on Monday is said to be quarantining at home as Interior Health (IHA) performs contact tracing.

“The safety and well-being of students, families, and staff remains our highest priority,” stated a news release from SD23.

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Interior Health said 11 people were in self-isolation for potential exposure to the first case at Kelowna Secondary School (KSS), but did not state how many people may be affected by the second case.

The first KSS case caused exposures at the high school on Oct. 19, 20 and 21, according to IHA.

The second case at KSS caused exposure on Oct. 21, according to IHA.

More than 175 people are in self-isolation due to exposure to 11 cases of COVID-19 discovered at Kelowna’s francophone school, École de l’Anse-au-sable.

The school is home to more than 350 students from Kindergarten to Grade 12 and has been shut down until Nov. 5, due to a lack of staff to safely operate, according to School District 93, B.C.’s Francophone school authority.

According to the BC Centre for Disease Control’s COVID-19 test data, 13 children (8 male and 5 female) under the age of 10 in the IHA tested positive for the virus Oct. 12-26.

The BC CDC data shows 12 youth (7 male and 5 female) ages 10-19 tested positive in the IHA Oct 13-22.

However, due to privacy reasons, health officials will not confirm those cases are linked to the outbreak declared at Ecole de L’Anse-au-sable.

The francophone school exposure dates include Oct. 13, 14, 15, 16, 19 and 20.

On Tuesday, Interior Health said 15 cases are linked to the outbreak at L’Anse-au-sable.

On Monday, Oct. 26, Dr. Bonnie Henry announced there were 44 test positive cases of COVID-19 in the Interior Health region since Friday, Oct. 23.

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