How many New Westminster schools have had coronavirus cases?

Three more New Westminster schools have seen COVID-19 exposures – each one involving multiple days.

Glenbrook Middle School and Skwo:wech Elementary School have seen their first reported exposures of the year, according to the Fraser Health school exposures website as of Oct. 7.

The Glenbrook case relates to someone who was in the school on Sept. 25, 26, 28, 29 and Oct. 1. At Skwo:wech, the dates are Sept. 23, 24, 27, 28 and 29.

École Qayqayt Elementary School, meanwhile, saw another exposure on Sept. 27, 28, 29 and Oct. 1. That follows two previous exposures (on Sept. 8 and on Sept. 20, 21 and 22), reported by B.C. School COVID Tracker and verified by Fraser Health letters, prior to a shift in the provincial notification system that took effect Sept. 28.

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 Health officials do not publish the number of cases involved, so it's not known whether the dates involve one person or multiple cases.

So far in the 2021/22 school year, seven of the New Westminster school district's 12 schools have seen exposures, as has one independent school. See the full list below.

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)

WHERE TO FIND OUT ABOUT NEW WESTMINSTER SCHOOL EXPOSURES

Fraser Health

New Westminster school exposures will be 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 new 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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