More potential COVID exposures in Thompson-Okanagan schools

Photo: Unsplash/Kelly Sikkema

COVID-19 exposure notifications in Thompson-Okanagan schools continue to increase in recent days.

Several more potential school exposures have been added to Interior Health's notification page in the Central Okanagan, Vernon, Okanagan Skaha and Kamloops-Thompson school districts, along with other independent schools in the region.

Recent additions in the Central Okanagan include:

• Shannon Lake Elementary (West Kelowna) – Sept. 27, 28, Oct. 1
• Raymer Elementary School (Kelowna) – Sept. 27
• Hudson Road Elementary (West Kelowna) ­– Sept. 27, 28, 29, Oct. 1
• Kelowna Secondary School – Sept. 27, 28, 29
• Kelowna Christian School – Sept. 27, 28, 29
• Quigley Elementary School (Kelowna) – Sept. 29, 30, Oct. 1­
• Okanagan Christian School (Kelowna) – Sept. 30, Oct. 1
• Constable Neil Bruce Middle (West Kelowna) – Oct. 1
• Oyama Traditional School (Lake Country) – Oct. 1

To the north, more possible exposure dates have been added for Cherryville Elementary, where IH has added Sept. 27, 28 and 29 to it list. The health authority has previously announced exposure dates back to Sept. 15.

And to the south, three schools have recently been added to the list:

• Unisus School (Summerland) – Sept. 27, 28
• KVR Middle School (Penticton) – Sept. 28, 29
• Tuc-el-Nuit Elementary (Oliver) – Oct. 1

In addition to the long list of Kamloops area schools with potential exposures reported earlier this week, Marian Schilling Elementary has also been added to the list, with a potential exposure on Sept. 29.

With the rising number of COVID-19 exposures in B.C. schools, the mask mandate for school-aged children was expanded to all ages last week.

Meanwhile, the province has left the decision whether or not to require school staff to be vaccinated for COVID-19 in the hands of individual school boards. Central Okanagan School Board chair Moira Baxter said trustees would likely discuss the issue at next week's scheduled board meeting.