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David Hoy Elementary in Fort St. James the fourth Northern Health school potentially exposed to COVID-19

David Hoy Elementary in Fort St. James is part of SD91 - Nechako Lakes
Kyle Balzer
Kyle Balzer

A fourth school has been added to Northern Health's exposure list today (Sept. 29).

David Hoy Elementary is said by the authority to have potentially been exposed to COVID-19 between Sept. 17 and 18.

The Fort St. James K-7 institution is sanctioned in the School District 91 (SD91) - Nechako Lakes region.

According to a notice by Northern Health to the community, officials say the risk of further spread remains low as David Hoy Elementary's safety plan was 'followed percisely.'

"We recognize that learning of a potential exposure to COVID-19 may cause concern for families," the authority says in a statement.

"Exposure to a confirmed case does not mean you or your child will become sick with COVID-19. COVID-19 has a very low infection rate in children, and most are not at high risk. We expect to see COVID-19 cases in various community settings, including school settings, but we expect the risk of transmission in school to be low in most circumstances. The risk of transmission becomes more significant if someone is considered a close contact."

David Hoy is the second school in the Fort St. James area to have been possibly exposed, coming five days after Nak'albun Elementary, an independent Indigenous-based facility, was listed by Northern Health.

The Nak'azdli Whut'en First Nation has also reported 13 positive COVID-19 cases in its community.

Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry also confirmed northern B.C.'s second virus-linked death was a 60-year-old female band elder.

This is now the fifth school exposure across the region.

Quesnel Junior Secondary is listed twice for possible exposures Sept. 10 to 11 and 15 to 18, while Ecole Frank Ross Elementary in Dawson Creek was listed for Sept. 10 and 11.

Should a student or teacher receive a positive COVID-19 test, Northern Heath's school notification process is as follows:

  • Contact tracing is initiated to determine how the individual was infected and who they were in close contact with
  • We identify and notify close contacts who may be at an increased risk, and advise them to self-isolate and monitor for symptoms for 14 days
  • Only Public Health can determine who is a close contact
    • Learning groups, friends or other connections may not be determined to be a close contact
  • Public Health staff works closely with the school and school district throughout the case and contact management process to maintain close communication with the school community

In Northern Health, there are 309 positive tests for COVID-19 since the virus landed in March, including 43 active cases, four are hospitalized and five people are admitted into ICU.

There are 264 recoveries in the region.