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Shuswap school closed for one week due to COVID-19 exposures to reopen Monday

In-class instruction set to resume on Oct. 18
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Staffing constraints due to COVID-19 exposures prompt School District 83 to close Sorrento Elementary for one week, from Oct. 12 to 15, 2021. (Google image)

A Shuswap school closed for one week due to COVID-19 exposures and related staffing constraints will reopen on Monday as planned.

According to an Oct. 12 notification shared on the Sorrento Elementary School’s website, students are permitted to return to in-class learning on Oct. 18, with the exception of a Grade 1/2 class, which will continue to self-isolate/self-monitor and may return Oct. 19 provided they are not showing any symptoms of illness.

Further information on the resumption of in-class learning was to be sent to parents later in the day.

On Oct. 11, Sorrento Elementary families were notified a decision was made to close the school from Oct. 12 to 15, with students moving to remote learning, due to cases of COVID-19 among the school community. In-person classes were expected to resume on the 18th.

The following day, the school notified families there had been a “cluster” of confirmed cases among a Grade 2 class.

A “cluster” is two or more confirmed cases of COVID-19 to have occurred among students and/or staff within a 14 day period, with transmission suspected or confirmed to have occurred within the school. The determination of clusters is made by medical health officers.

“Out of abundance of caution, Interior Health is recommending that students and staff in the Grade 2 class affected self-isolate and/or self-monitor for symptoms,” read an Oct. 12 notice. “Students in the class are being asked to self-isolate at home for 10 days, followed by four days of monitoring for symptoms.”

School staff not fully vaccinated were asked to self-isolate for 10 days, followed by four days of monitoring for symptoms. Fully vaccinated staff were advised to self-monitor.

“If a school member has not received a letter or call from Interior Health this means they are not considered exposed.”

As of Oct. 15, remaining potential exposure dates for Sorrento Elementary on Interior Health’s list of school exposures were Oct. 1, 4, 5 and 6. Schools are removed from the list 14 days after the last exposure date.

Read more: COVID-19 cluster confirmed at Shuswap elementary school

Read more: Salmon Arm school added to Interior Health list of potential COVID-19 exposures



lachlan@saobserver.net
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