Novel Coronavirus Update
We are writing to all school districts to give you updated information on the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), a new virus causing respiratory illness. Fraser Health is working closely with provincial partners and school districts as we manage and support cases of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in our region. We want to assure the public that people who may be at risk of COVID-19 exposure were contacted by public health officials. There are no new cases of COVID-19 in our region.
We are aware there are alleged personal details about people involved circulating on social media which may be causing unnecessary concern among families. As previously announced, our public health teams are supporting two people who have tested positive with COVID-19. We are also supporting their close contacts, who are all in isolation at home. While we will not be identifying specific schools or hospitals visited by people with COVID-19, we remind people the risk to the public is low and those who need to be aware of possible exposure have been contacted. If we had any concerns that we were not able to find all those who had a potential exposure we would post the information publicly.
For more information on COVID-19, please see: www.bccdc.ca. Anyone concerned about respiratory symptoms should stay home and call their health-care provider or 8-1-1 to discuss any need for testing and follow up.
In the meantime, we are reminding everyone to follow proper respiratory hygiene etiquette during the cold and flu season. This includes:
- Proper hand-washing for at least 20 seconds using soap and water.
- Alcohol-based hand rubs to clean hands if they are not visibly soiled.
- Do not touch your face/eyes/mouth with unwashed hands.
- Cover your mouth and nose when you sneeze or cough with a disposable tissue or the crease of your elbow.
- Stay at home when you are sick
Sincerely,
Dr. Ingrid Tyler
Medical Health Officer, Medical Director
Healthy Schools Program
