Surrey school district postpones space rentals at one school after confirmed case of COVID-19
Posted March 8, 2020 8:11 pm.
Last Updated March 9, 2020 7:27 pm.
Editor’s note: NEWS 1130 has updated this article to clarify the school district has postponed space and facility rentals at one school and not all schools.
SURREY (NEWS 1130) — The Surrey school district has postponed space and facility rentals at one school after learning someone diagnosed with COVID-19 was in a school gym this weekend.
A person who used the gymnasium at Serpentine Heights Elementary tested positive for the virus, according to spokesperson Ritinder Matthew.
“We were notified by Fraser Health yesterday that an individual who was in our school as part of a community-use rental has tested positive. Because our school community was not in contact with the affected individual Fraser Health advised that the risk was low,” she says.
The school itself has been thoroughly disinfected and parents and staff were sent a letter from the superintendent.
“Fraser Health has deemed that the risk to the general school community and its members is low. The novel coronavirus is spread between people by droplets, which requires close contact with saliva or mucus from the mouth, nose or throat of an infected person. As such, individuals not in direct contact with the affected individual are at low risk,” the letter reads.
The letter says the district has “postponed the community use rental group permit until further notice.”
Meanwhile, someone described as a “member of the Sullivan Heights Secondary community” has been diagnosed with COVID-19, but was apparently asymptomatic during their time at the school. According to Fraser Health, the risk to the school population is “minimal” as a result.
“There is no evidence that novel coronavirus is transmitted via asymptomatic individuals and the risk is low for the staff and students at Sullivan Heights,” Fraser Health says.
The health authority says the school district has taken precautions to ensure the safety of its community, including “enhancing cleaning protocols and reinforcing public health recommendations during daily morning announcements.”
Anyone who’s sick is reminded to stay home in order to avoid potentially spreading a virus.
