Eight Delta schools are on the latest Fraser Health Authority (FHA) school list as having a COVID-19 exposure.
According to the most current list, posted online Monday morning, North Delta’s Burnsview Secondary had an exposure Jan. 12, 13 and 14.
The others schools include North Delta’s Chalmers Elementary (Jan. 5, 6, 7, 11, 12, 13, 14), Ladner’s Delta Secondary (Jan. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13), North Delta’s Delview Secondary (Jan. 6, 7, 8), North Delta’s Devon Gardens Elementary (Jan. 4), North Delta’s McCloskey Elementary (Jan. 4, 5), North Delta Secondary (Jan. 4, 5, 6, 7) and North Delta’s Seaquam Secondary (Jan. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
The 12 B.C. Teachers Federation local presidents, representing teachers who work within the Fraser Health region, recently called on the health region to improve health and safety standards in schools.
In a joint statement, the locals including the Delta Teachers Association, noted the FHA needs to work with the government, the provincial health officer and school districts to make a series of changes including making improvements to ensure there is timely contact tracing, saying some exposure notices arrive near the end of the two-week monitoring period, which too late.
Teachers also want to reduce density in schools and classrooms to enable physical distancing, noting desks are often less than a metre apart and many facilities have poor ventilation.
They also want to make masks mandatory for use in all indoor spaces because physical distancing is not possible in most schools.
The teachers also want the province to ensure educators and school staff are appropriately prioritized to receive vaccinations as soon as possible.
