How many COVID cases have there been in New West schools?

Fraser River Middle School has seen another COVID-19 exposure – with just two school days to go before the holidays.

The school saw an exposure Dec. 8, according to today's Fraser Health school exposures site update. It was already on the list for Dec. 3, 6, 9 and 10. All told, those dates appear to cover at least four separate cases, based on self-monitoring letters to families published in the B.C. School COVID Tracker database. (One of those letters is for Dec. 6; one is for Dec. 10; one lists Dec. 3, 6, 9 and 10; and one lists Dec. 8. 9 and 10.)

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 Health officials do not publish the number of cases involved, so it's not known whether the dates involve one person or multiple cases.

The lack of clarity over school cases remains a concern for the New Westminster District Parent Advisory Council, who spoke at the school board meeting Tuesday night and asked the district to push health officials for more transparent data.

“Caregivers and parents are trying to make the best decisions for their families with incomplete information,” DPAC representative Laura Kwong told the board.

Six New Westminster schools remain on the Fraser Health list. Listings remain active for 14 days following the exposure date.

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.

Schools are in session until tomorrow (Friday, Dec. 17) before the two-week winter break.

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)
Lord Tweedsmuir Elementary School: Dec. 1,2 (added on Fraser Health site Dec. 7)
Lord Tweedsmuir Elementary School: Dec. 3 (added on Fraser Health site Dec. 7; appears to be separate exposure from Dec. 1/2 based on self-monitoring letter sent to families)
Fraser River Middle School: Nov. 29, 30 (added on Fraser Health site Dec. 7)
Lord Kelvin Elementary School: Dec. 3 (added on Fraser Health site Dec. 9)
Glenbrook Middle School: Dec. 6, 7, 8 (added on Fraser Health site Dec. 11; appears to be two separate exposures based on self-monitoring letter sent to families regarding Dec. 7/8)
Lord Kelvin Elementary School: Dec. 1, 2 (added on Fraser Health site over weekend Dec. 11/12)
New Westminster Secondary School: Dec. 3 (letter to family Dec. 10; Fraser Health site over weekend Dec. 11/12)
Fraser River Middle School: Dec. 3, 6, 9, 10 (added on Fraser Health site Dec. 14; appears to be at least three separate exposures based on self-monitoring letters sent to families,as posted in B.C. School COVID Tracker)
New Westminster Secondary School: Dec. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 (Fraser Health site Dec. 14)
Fraser River Middle School: Dec. 8 (added on Fraser Health site Dec. 16)

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.)

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