COVID-19 exposure notices issued at seven new Surrey schools

The Surrey School District has notified the families of students at seven schools about potential exposure to COVID-19.

The schools include:

• Ecole Simon Cunningham Elementary
• Riverdale Elementary
• Lord Tweedsmuir Secondary
• Hyland Elementary
• Ecole Sunrise Ridge Elementary
• Sunnyside Elementary
• Queen Elizabeth Secondary

In each case, a letter from the school district has been sent home with students to alert families.

“The intent of this letter is to provide early notification of an individual confirmed to have COVID-19 at your child’s school and to advise you on next steps being taken by public health” the letter reads.

“Public health is following up on this exposure according to school-based guidelines similar to those in other workplaces and community settings. Receiving this letter does not mean you have been exposed to COVID-19. Case(s) have been isolated, and there is no direct exposure risk at this time.”

Today we shared COVID-19 notifications with our school communities at Simon Cunningham Elem, Riverdale Elem, Lord Tweedsmuir Sec, Hyland Elem, Sunrise Ridge Elem, Sunnyside Elem, Queen Elizabeth Sec. Thank you to @Fraserhealth and school staff, students and parents #sd36learn pic.twitter.com/hicWa8XQs6

— Surrey Schools (@Surrey_Schools) November 21, 2020

Exposure notices were issued for 16 Surrey schools on November 18, and for 19 schools on November 20.

BC health officials reported 516 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, bringing the total number of recorded cases in the province to 25,472. The province also reported 10 new virus-related deaths, bringing the total to date to 331.

Of the new cases, 148 are in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, 294 are in the Fraser Health region, 17 are in the Island Health region, 31 are in the Interior Health region, and 25 are in the Northern Health region.

As of Friday, there were 7,122 active virus cases in BC, with 227 people in hospital and 57 in ICU. A total of 17,477 people who tested positive have now recovered.

Currently, 9,871 people are under active public health monitoring as a result of identified exposure to known cases.