A childcare centre operating on the grounds of Cloverdale Elementary School near the intersection of Cook and Quadra streets has shut down for the week after a COVID-19 exposure was reported.
“We are working with Island Health and just doing whatever they ask,” said Cindy Fuailefau, manager of the centre, which offers preschool, daycare and out-of-school care in a facility on the school’s grounds.
The Greater Victoria School District said it has not received any notification from health authorities that the school’s operations would be affected. “If we were notified by [public] health of any risks or an exposure to school staff and students, we would take the appropriate steps as advised by public health,” the district said in a statement.
Island Health also reported a COVID-19 exposure at Chemainus Secondary School. The exposure, which means a single person with COVID-19 was at the school while infected, happened on Monday.
A notification does not necessarily mean that anyone else will be affected, and public-health personnel will determine who the close contacts are.
If parents do not receive a phone call or letter from public health, their children should keep going to class.
The first cases of COVID-19 in Island schools were found in September. There were four exposures at schools in December — Salt Spring Centre School, Wellington Secondary School in Nanaimo, Nanaimo District Secondary School and Port Alberni’s Wood Elementary School.
