Prince George teachers are concerned an investigation by Northern Health to trace the path of contacts made by Prince George Secondary School student who tested positive for COVID-19 is not going deep enough.
Joanne Hapke, president of the Prince George District Teachers Association, spoke Saturday morning to a teacher who works in one of the elementary schools that feed students to PGSS who is worried about the siblings of the infected student and the possibility they could spread the virus to that elementary school.
“She would like to know if the student who has a confirmed COVID case at PGSS, if they have siblings in the elementary schools or is living in a household with children in elementary schools,” said Hapke. “Are they going to be working with the siblings, and will we even know that connection?
“She (the teacher) needs to know if she’s going to risk being exposed.”
The PGSS exposure, Oct. 2, is the first confirmed case in a Prince George school reported by Northern Health since the onset of the COVID outbreak in March. The PGSS notification was posted in an update on the Northern Health website on Friday.
“Of course there’s always a fear and everyone was waiting for the first case to see how it was handled and what is the information that we’re going to receive?” said Hapke.
“Since that was just reported (Friday) and schools are closed for the weekend, we won’t expect to hear too much before Tuesday, if we hear anything at all. So that’s the question; will we be informed of anything other than that there was a case. There are privacy laws they have to protect, but at the same time the health and wellness of others needs to be considered.”
The Citizen is awaiting comment from Northern Health on the case in question.
Northern Health, in its advisory, reminds parents that just because a notification of the exposure has been issued does not mean every student in that school has been exposed to the virus. Students who do not receive a phone call or letter from the health authority should continue to attend school.
The PGSS case is the seventh school COVID exposure advisory Northern Health has issued since the school year began in September. Other exposures on the health authority’s list include Dawson Creek Secondary School (Sept. 23-25) David Hoy elementary in Fort St. James (Sept. 17-18), two at Quesnel junior secondary (Sept. 15-18 and Sept. 10-11), Nak’albun elementary in Fort St. James (Sept. 16-18) and Ecole Frank Ross in Dawson Creek (Sept. 10-11).
According to the Northern Health website, if a student or teacher receives a positive COVID-19 test, the health authority will act using the following protocols:
- 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 a case in which a student has been exposed to the virus, Northern Health will contact anybody deemed to have come into contact with that student and no further action is required unless otherwise advised by school officials.
In a letter to parents posted on the School District 57 website, superintendent Anita Richardson said Northern Health has made the school district aware that somebody at PGSS tested positive and that the district is following the advice of Northern Health and the provincial health office.
“Please be reassured that our schools will continue the strict protocols and procedures we have in place so that children can continue to attend schools as safely as possible,” said Richardson. “The safety and well-being of our students, families and staff remains our highest priority.”
Richardson advises parents with COVID-19 questions to call Northern Health’s online clinic at 1-844-645-7811.
