The Superintendent of the Kamloops-Thompson School District has worries and hopes regarding COVID-19 as classes resume following spring break.
Terry Sullivan says he’s worried about a potential rise in COVID-19 school exposures. He was speaking to Kamloops council today, and says the city in particular saw a spike in exposures after the most recent break.
“We found that in 69 days in session from the opening in September to Christmas, we had five confirmed exposures. And then after Christmas, in 29 days in session we had 42 exposures,” he said.
Sullivan says there have been “relatively few” transmission events in schools with most cases coming into schools from the community. He also noted that the major cause of that spread is transmission between adults.
The number of school exposures in Kamloops has dipped in recent weeks. As of this afternoon there were two active school exposures, at Dufferin Elementary (on March 10) and at Westmount Elementary (on March 12). Anyone who is at risk of exposure in those schools would’ve already been called by contact tracers.
Meanwhile, Sullivan says teachers in the Kamloops area still waiting for word on how COVID-19 vaccines will be delivered. He says the Ministry of Health will be informing the district in early April of how that will work, and he suspects it will be for all staff in K-to-12 schools.
“Certainly it’s really good news. Since my return in September I think it’s the best news we’ve had. And it’s energizing our staff. And spring is here, so it’s good news. And I think it’s really giving people a shot in the arm,” added Sullivan.
Earlier this month, the province announced that teachers and workers in many other professions would move up the priority list for the vaccine rollout, and would be able to get a first dose in April or May.
On a related note, the Surrey School District – the largest in B.C. – was told today that all K-to-12 staff will be able to get a vaccine dose in the “coming days,” signaling that the rollout could be the same in other school districts.
– with files from The Canadian Press