Duncan Christian School will be closed until Feb. 1 after several people tested positive for COVID-19.
Principal Peter Terpstra said he was busy on Monday transitioning the schools to at-home learning that will be in place until the closure ends. The closure affects the pre-school, elementary school and high school.
He said several staff members are following COVID-19 precautionary measures and self-isolating. “This makes it difficult to function operationally,” he said.
A COVID-19 exposure was reported at the school Jan. 6-8. The school issued an update last Wednesday noting that “two or more members” of the school had tested positive for COVID-19. A Saturday notice reported further cases.
On Sunday, Island Health informed the school that more people had tested positive in what’s now being called a cluster of cases.
Dr. Richard Stanwick, chief medical health officer for Island Health, said the health authority did not ask the school to close.
“Teachers are critical to the functioning of theses schools and if you reach a certain number falling ill … from an operational perspective the school feels it can’t really provide the educational services in that setting with so few teachers,” he said.
A letter from Terpstra and Sandra Allison, medical health officer for the health authority, sent to parents Sunday says the individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19 and their known contacts are isolating and are following directions from Island Health.
“We have complete confidence in the support and direction being provided by Island Health. We are monitoring the situation together,” the letters says.
There were potential exposures at the school on Jan. 6, 7, 8, 12, 13 and 15. Students and staff who need to self-isolate have been called, said the school.
Meanwhile, the Sooke School District put out a notice Monday evening saying there had been a COVID-19 exposure at Royal Bay Secondary in Colwood. The district said the potential exposure was on Friday, Jan. 15, and that Island Health is carrying out contact tracing.
Several other schools have also reported COVID-19 exposures in the past two weeks:
- Chemainus Secondary School in Chemainus
- St. Michaels University School's junior school in Victoria
- NIDES/ Navigation SD71 Distance Education in Courtenay
- Quamichan Middle School in Duncan
- Cowichan Secondary School in Duncan
- Miracle Beach Elementary School in Black Creek
More information on school exposures and COVID-19 can be found here.
ceharnett@timescolonist.com
