Cluster of COVID-19 cases found at Victoria Elementary School
An elementary school in Victoria has seen a cluster of COVID-19 cases in recent days, according to Island Health.
A notice on the health authority's website indicates that a cluster was declared at Sir James Douglas Elementary School on Friday.
In the school context, a cluster is defined as two or more people in a school community testing positive for COVID-19 within a 14-day period, with evidence of transmission of the disease on school property and "no other likely source of exposure."
The Island Health website does not indicate how many people at the school have tested positive, nor does it share the dates of potential exposures to members of the school community.
Last school year, the provincial government required health authorities to post a public notification whenever someone who tested positive for COVID-19 was found to have been present at a school during their infectious period.
This year, that policy has changed, with health authorities no longer publishing information about every exposure, instead only providing public notifications when a cluster or outbreak is declared.
Every case is still investigated and those who may have been exposed to the coronavirus at school are still notified by public health officials, according to provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry.
"We've heard very clearly from people that the majority of people felt that the school-based letters were more anxiety-provoking than helpful," Henry said. "But we will absolutely be keeping the schools informed."
Since the change was announced, parents and teachers have panned the decision.
B.C. Teachers' Federation president Terri Mooring told The Canadian Press that not having information about what's going on in schools would cause more stress for parents than receiving COVID-19 exposure notices did.
“I think the rationale about exposure notifications is a little bit insulting," Mooring said at the time.
Parents have been tracking exposures in schools themselves, publishing the information on the BC School COVID Tracker website.
According to a notice from Island Health that was shared on the parents' website, exposures happened at Sir James Douglas on Sept. 8, 9, 10, 13, 14 and 15.
With files from The Canadian Press
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Most of Canada to receive emergency alert test today
The federal government will test its capacity to issue emergency alerts today, with the exception of Ontario, where the test will take place on May 15.
OPINION What King Charles' schedule being too 'full' to accommodate son suggests about relationship with Prince Harry
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has made headlines with his recent arrival in the U.K., this time to celebrate all things Invictus. But upon the prince landing in the U.K., we have already had confirmation that King Charles III won't have time to see his youngest son during his brief visit.
Ontario man devastated to learn $150,000 line of credit isn't insured after wife dies
An Ontario man found out that a line of credit he thought was insured actually isn't after his wife of 50 years died.
Boy Scouts of America is rebranding. Here's why they're now named Scouting America
After more than a century, Boy Scouts of America is rebranding as Scouting America, another major shakeup for an organization that once proudly resisted change.
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
Rape, terror and death at sea: How a boat carrying Rohingya children, women and men capsized
In March, Indonesian officials and local fishermen rescued 75 people from the overturned hull of a boat off the coast of Indonesia. Until now, little was known about why the boat capsized.
'A huge difference': These adults born in the '90s partnered with their parents to buy homes in Ontario
An Ontario woman said it would have been impossible to buy a house without her mother – an anecdote that animates the fact that over 17 per cent of Canadian homeowners born in the ‘90s own their property with their parents, according to a new report.
How Drake and Kendrick Lamar's rap beef escalated within weeks
A long-simmering feud between hip-hop superstars Drake and Kendrick Lamar reached a boiling point in recent days as the pair traded increasingly personal insults on a succession of diss tracks. Here’s a quick overview of what’s behind the ongoing beef.
opinion Tom Mulcair: Trudeau's handling of Poilievre's 'wacko' House turfing a clear sign of Liberal desperation
When Speaker Greg Fergus tossed out Pierre Poilievre from the House last week, "those of us who have experience as parliamentarians simply couldn't believe our eyes," writes former NDP leader Tom Mulcair in his column for CTVNews.ca