Kelowna Catholic School has COVID-19 exposure

A third Kelowna school is dealing with a COVID-19 exposure today.

St. Joseph Elementary School, a Catholic Independent School in the Nelson Diocese, had a case on Oct. 21 and 22, according to an update on Interior Health's school exposure web page today, Oct. 27.

A school representative said they have no comment on the exposure, but protocol posted to the school website indicates that in the event that a student or staff member, or another individual who has been in a school is identified as a confirmed case of COVID-19 through testing or investigation, the local health authority will initiate contact tracing.

READ MORE: More cases of COVID-19 in Kelowna schools

"That will determine how they were infected and who else may have been at risk of infection," the policy reads. "If there was a potential exposure at a school (i.e. the confirmed case attended school when they may have been potentially infectious), the health authority will work with the school administrator to identify who may have been exposed, and to determine what actions should be taken, including identifying if other students or staff are sick or have been exposed and should monitor for symptoms or self-isolate."

This is the third Kelowna school in a matter of days with a case of COVID-19. Kelowna Secondary is reporting two unrelated cases, and the francophone school has been closed with 11 cases, thus far.

B.C.'s top doctor has said school exposures were expected.

A “school exposure notification” does not mean all students at the school have been exposed to COVID-19.

If you do not receive a phone call or letter from Interior Health, your child should continue to attend school. You can monitor your child for COVID-19 symptoms daily using the BC COVID-19 Health Assessment Tool.

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