VICTORIA -- New COVID-19 exposures have been reported at a high school in the Comox Valley.

George P. Vanier Secondary School in Courtenay reported additional COVID-19 exposures on Feb. 19, 23, 25 and 26 after initial exposures were reported the week before.

Island Health first issued alerts about exposures at the school on Feb. 16 and 17.

There are currently 17 Vancouver Island schools with active COVID-19 alerts, according to Island Health.

On Sunday, Comox Valley students launched a petition calling for a transition to full online learning after multiple schools reported COVID-19 exposures over the past two weeks.

"It is our request that there is an immediate indefinite shutdown of all the schools within SD71," reads the petition.

On Tuesday, the school district told CTV News that it is aware of the petition and is planning to hold a virtual town hall meeting later this week to address the current trend of COVID-19 cases in the region.

When there is an exposure in an island school, health officials contact people who may have been at risk directly and instruct them to self-isolate or monitor for symptoms as necessary.

"If you have not been contacted by public health, then please be assured that your child did not have a high-risk exposure, and they should continue to attend school as long as they are not experiencing any symptoms," Island Health says on its school exposures webpage.