Two North Van classes isolating after COVID-19 exposures

More schools on the North Shore have posted COVID-19 exposures this week and at least two classes have now been told to isolate as a result.

Students of a Grade 8 Spanish class who were at Carson Graham Secondary on Dec. 2, 3 or 4 are starting their break from school early after being told Dec. 6 to self-isolate for two weeks. The news follows an earlier notice to parents of Grade 8 English class students warning of exposure to the virus on the same dates and advice to self-monitor for symptoms, and an earlier notice to Grade 8 students of an exposure Nov. 30 and Dec. 1 and 2.

A Kindergarten/Grade 1 class at Ecole Dorothy Lynas has also been told to self-isolate after being exposed to the virus Nov. 25. A letter went home to parents informing them Dec. 3.

Families of kindergarten students at Ridgeway Elementary have also been told to monitor for symptoms after they were exposed to a person with COVID-19 Nov. 23, 24 and 25.

Other North Shore schools that have reported COVID-19 exposures in recent weeks include Windsor, Handsworth, Seycove, West Vancouver Secondary, Collingwood, Irwin Park, Westcot, and Ecole Pauline Johnson.

On Monday, Dr. Bonnie Henry, the province’s medical health officer, announced she has extended restrictions on social gatherings outside of immediate households to Jan. 8. Adult team sports have been suspended, many recreation activities have been iced and additional restrictions have been added to youth sports, after health officials discovered between 10 and 15 per cent of recent COVID-19 cases were linked to sports and fitness activities, or the socializing around them.

But on Monday, Henry rejected calls for either an earlier or extended Christmas break for public schools, saying the harms would outweigh the benefits.