COVID-19 exposures have prompted Enderby, B.C.’s elementary school to close its doors for a week and shift to online learning.
In the last two weeks, there have been “potential exposure events” at M.V. Beattie Elementary on seven separate days, according to Interior Health.
On Monday, staff members were preparing for the shift to online learning and on Tuesday students will start learning from home, the school district said in a statement.
The North Okanagan – Shuswap School District said the decision to close M.V. Beattie from Nov. 15 to 19 was based on a recommendation from the health authority.
“When there is an exposure, Interior Health will directly notify confirmed close contacts of the positive case with further instructions, including if they should self-isolate or self-monitor for symptoms of illness,” the school district said.
There were 14 COVID-19 cases in the Enderby local health area between Oct. 31 and Nov. 6, according to the latest data from the BC Centre for Disease Control.
While children under 12 are not yet eligible for vaccination, among those who are eligible, Enderby has among the lowest vaccination rates in Interior Health.
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As of Nov. 9, 72 per cent of those eligible, in the Enderby area, had received one dose and 67 per cent had received two doses of COVID-19 vaccine.
The pandemic has also forced the closures of other schools in the region in recent months.
Mar Jok Elementary School in West Kelowna and the independent Vernon Christian School are currently closed due to COVID-19.
In October, Sorrento Elemtentary School in the Shuswap also temporarily shut its doors. The independent Kings Christian School in Salmon Arm also experienced a closure this month.
— with files from Klaudia Van Emmerik, Kathy Michaels and Shelby Thom
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