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COVID-19 in New West schools: NWSS, Tweedsmuir, Qayqayt all on exposures list

New exposure at Qayqayt Dec. 1 and 3 follows a report last week involving Nov. 26, 29 and 30
Julie MacLellan
Julie MacLellan
Qayqayt Elementary School
École Qayqayt Elementary School is back on the COVID-19 school exposures list for Dec. 1 and 3, following a previously reported exposure (or exposures) on Nov. 26, 29 and 30.Jennifer Gauthier

After a relatively quiet week last week, New Westminster schools are starting the week with three new reports of COVID-19 exposures.

Two new exposures – at New Westminster Secondary School on Nov. 26, 30 and Dec. 2, and at Lord Tweedsmuir Elementary School on Nov. 29 and 30 – were reported on the Fraser Health school exposures site over the weekend.

A new exposure at École Qayqayt Elementary School, on Dec. 1 and 3, was reported this morning (Monday, Dec. 6). The Qayqayt exposure follows on the heels of a report last week, when an exposure or exposures were noted for the school on Nov. 26, 29 and 30.

An "exposure" means someone who has since tested positive for COVID-19 was in the school during their potentially infectious period on the date or dates in question and other people may be at risk of having come in contact with the virus. Health officials do not publish the number of cases involved, so it's not known whether the dates involve one person or multiple cases.

When it comes to coronavirus exposures, Qayqayt has been the hardest-hit of all New Westminster schools this year. It was the first school to see reported exposures in September, and in October it saw multiple, back-to-back exposures and had one class sent into isolation.

Ten of School District 40's 12 schools have seen COVID-19 exposures so far this school year, as have two independent schools in New Westminster. So far, F.W. Howay Elementary School and Queensborough Middle School have had no reported exposures in this school year.

COVID EXPOSURES IN NEW WESTMINSTER SCHOOLS

Here’s what has transpired in the 2021/22 school year so far in New Westminster:

  • École Qayqayt Elementary: Sept. 8 (reported by B.C. School COVID Tracker; predated change to Fraser Health notifications)
  • École Qayqayt Elementary: Sept. 20, 21, 22 (reported by B.C. School COVID Tracker; predated change to Fraser Health notifications)
  • Urban Academy (independent): Sept. 22, 23, 24 (reported on Fraser Health site Sept. 29)
  • Herbert Spencer Elementary: Sept. 21 (reported on Fraser Health site Oct. 1)
  • Lord Kelvin Elementary: Sept. 24 (reported on Fraser Health site Sept. 29)
  • Lord Tweedsmuir Elementary: Sept. 21, 22, 23, 24 (reported on Fraser Health site Oct. 1; B.C. School COVID Tracker confirms this is at least three separate cases)
  • New Westminster Secondary: Sept. 22, 23, 24 (reported on Fraser Health site Oct. 3)
  • Lord Kelvin Elementary: Sept. 22, 23, 28 (dates added on Fraser Health site Oct. 3)
  • New Westminster Secondary: Sept. 28 (date added on Fraser Health site Oct. 4)
  • Urban Academy (independent): Sept. 27, 28 (dates added on Fraser Health site Oct. 1)
  • Glenbrook Middle School: Sept. 25, 26, 28, 29, Oct. 1 (listed on Fraser Health site Oct. 7)
  • École Qayqayt Elementary School: Sept. 27, 28, 29, Oct. 1 (dates added on Fraser Health site Oct. 7)
  • Skwo:wech Elementary School: Sept. 23, 24, 27, 28, 29 (listed on Fraser Health site Oct. 7)
  • École Qayqayt Elementary School: Oct. 4,5 (listed on Fraser Health site Oct. 9; B.C. School COVID Tracker confirms this is at least two separate exposures)
  • New Westminster Secondary: Oct. 4, 5, 6 (dates added on Fraser Health site Oct. 9)
  • École Qayqayt Elementary School: Oct. 5, 6, 7, 8 (B.C. School COVID Tracker confirms at least two separate exposures involving this date range, with emails sent Oct. 11)
  • École Qayqayt Elementary School: Oct. 6, 7, 8, 11, 12 (separate case from above; one full class sent into isolation)
  • Fraser River Middle School: Oct. 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 15 (reported on Fraser Health site Oct. 19)
  • Lord Kelvin Elementary School: Oct. 14, 15 (reported on Fraser Health site Oct. 20)
  • New Westminster Secondary School: Oct. 15, 18 (added on Fraser Health site Oct. 22)
  • New Westminster Secondary School: Oct. 13, 19, 20 (added on Fraser Health site Oct. 23)
  • Urban Academy (independent): Oct. 18, 19 (added on Fraser Health site Oct. 24)
  • New Westminster Secondary School: Oct. 21 (added on Fraser Health site Oct. 27)
  • Al-Hidayah (independent): Oct. 18, 20, 21, 22 (added on Fraser Health site Oct. 27)
  • Al-Hidayah (independent): Oct. 25 (added on Fraser Health site Oct. 31)
  • École Qayqayt Elementary School: Oct. 25, 26 (added on Fraser Health site Nov. 2)
  • Lord Kelvin Elementary School: Nov. 1, 2, 3 (added on Fraser Health site Nov. 8)
  • Queen Elizabeth Elementary School: Nov. 1, 2 (added on Fraser Health site Nov. 8)
  • Skwo:wech Elementary School: Nov. 1, 2, 3, 4 (added on Fraser Health site Nov. 9)
  • Connaught Heights Elementary School: Nov. 3, 4, 5 (added on Fraser Health site Nov. 10)
  • Fraser River Middle School: Nov. 2 (added on Fraser Health site Nov. 13)
  • Al-Hidayah School: Nov. 2, 3, 4 (added on Fraser Health site Nov. 12)
  • Glenbrook Middle School: Nov. 15 (added on Fraser Health site Nov. 21)
  • Herbert Spencer: Nov. 16, 17, 18 (added on Fraser Health site Nov. 22)
  • Glenbrook Middle School: Nov. 17 (added on Fraser Health site Nov. 24)
  • Fraser River Middle School: Nov. 19 (added on Fraser Health site Nov. 25)
  • Urban Academy: Nov. 17, 18, 19 (added on Fraser Health site Nov. 25)
  • Connaught Heights: Nov. 29 (added on Fraser Health site Dec. 2)
  • École Qayqayt Elementary School: Nov. 26, 29, 30 (added on Fraser Health site Dec. 3)
  • New Westminster Secondary School: Nov. 26, 30, Dec. 2 (added on Fraser Health site Dec. 4)
  • Lord Tweedsmuir Elementary School: Nov. 29, 30 (added on Fraser Health site Dec. 4)
  • École Qayqayt Elementary School: Dec. 1, 3 (added on Fraser Health site Dec. 6)

 

WHERE TO FIND OUT ABOUT NEW WESTMINSTER SCHOOL EXPOSURES

Fraser Health

New Westminster school exposures are listed at Fraser Health’s school exposures webpage.

 

B.C. School COVID Tracker

This parent-run database uses information provided directly by parents and verified by official health authority letters. There's a searchable database online.

 

Exposure Watch

This site, created by New Westminster parent Gabriel Bauman, provides a listing of COVID-19 "hotspots" in B.C. schools, as well as a search function to find out school-specific information. Parents can also sign up for exposure alerts and report exposures. (Note that the listings may include both confirmed and unconfirmed exposures; they are identified as such, with confirmed exposures including documentation.)

Follow Julie MacLellan on Twitter @juliemaclellan.
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