‘Significant numbers of exposures at schools in the weeks to come’: Island Health issues warning

Island Health is warning parents of a potential spike in COVID-19 exposures at schools.

In a letter sent to parents on Sunday, the health authority said the Vancouver Island region has been experiencing a “higher number of coronavirus cases in the past few weeks.”

“Accordingly, we are now seeing the number of children with coronavirus cases on the rise.”

Children are returning from Spring Break on Monday and the health authority is concerned families travelled in some capacity during the break.

“All signs indicate that there will be significant numbers of exposures at schools in the weeks to come,” the authority states in the letter.

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On Friday, the province reported 908 new cases along with another three deaths.

It was the second-highest daily total for new cases the province has ever recorded, after a peak of 911 cases on Nov. 27.

Of the new cases, 55 were in the Island Health region compared to 294 in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, 438 in the Fraser Health region, 43 in the Interior Health region and 78 in the Northern Health region.

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Island Health is reminding all parents to decrease social contact and pay attention to any signs of illness. It is urging parents to get children tested, even if they are showing mild symptoms as children will only often have mild coronavirus illness.

The authority asks parents not to send children to school with any symptoms and to make an appointment to get their children tested along with any symptomatic family members.