Letter from Medical Health Officer
November 15, 2021
Dear Parents, Guardians, Students and Staff of MV Beattie Elementary School,
Re: School Closure Due to COVID-19
Interior Health has identified increased COVID-19 activity at MV Beattie Elementary School. As a consequence, a large number of school community members have been asked to self-isolate. Despite this, a handful of exposures have continued to occur. As such, the Interior Health Medical Health Officer is supporting discontinuing in-class teaching and moving to remote learning. Starting on Monday, November 15th, the school will remain closed to in-person instruction until Monday, November 22nd.
Please note this has been declared a COVID-19 school outbreak. Interior Health is asking all members of the school community to self-monitor for symptoms and get tested if they are sick. Testing information is available on the Interior Health website at https://news.interiorhealth.ca/news/testing- information/. In addition, and particularly in light of the lower COVID immunization rate in the Enderby LHA (local health area), we request that students and staff avoid social gatherings and non-essential travel.
Public health is following up directly with anyone identified as a COVID-19 case to determine if other students or staff were close contacts. Anyone deemed as a close contact is being directly notified through contact tracing. If public health determines a student may have had close contact, you will receive a phone call from public health asking the student to self-isolate at home.
While this may be distressing to parents, students and staff, we want to reassure the school community that Interior Health has been closely working with school leads to protect students and staff. We commend the school and school district for going above and beyond to implement additional environmental and administrative measures to prevent transmission.
For further information on COVID-19 contact tracing in schools, please visit http://www.bccdc.ca/schools/Documents/Contact_Tracing.pdf.
For more information on testing, please visit https://news.interiorhealth.ca/news/testing-information/.
Have you received your COVID-19 vaccine? Vaccination offers the best protection against serious health outcomes and is recommended for anyone ages 12 and up. For more information, please visit https://news.interiorhealth.ca/news/covid-19-immunization-clinics/.
Sincerely,
Karin Goodison, MD, MPH, FRCPC Medical Health Officer