No updates will be made from Coast Mountain School District 82 (CMSD82) until March 29 regarding the recent COVID-19 exposures at Kitimat public schools.
Through Kitimat’s highly active Facebook awareness page known as ‘The Kitimat, Kitimat and Community Awareness site,’ a teacher at Mount Elizabeth Middle Secondary School (MEMSS), reached out to all users on the awareness page warning the community about their positive results that took place days before the spring break holidays, March 12-29.
“I really feel being open and honest will help the public realize it is in the community and so easily transmitted. I did follow all guidelines and still managed to get it,” said the teacher in a statement to The Northern Sentinel. “The community response has been so supportive. I love this town.”
READ MORE: Kitimat teacher warns community about their positive COVID-19 results
Usually, there’s a tentative protocol if a student or teacher receives a confirmed positive COVID-19 test result. Northern Health would send exposure letters to the schools, then either the principal, vice-principal or staff of the school district would make a public post on their website and send home newsletters to students for parents about the event of exposure.
However, that protocol is on pause until school reopens on March 29th.
Even with a MEMSS teacher opening up about their positive test result, the school district told The Northern Sentinel, CMSD82 will not make any updates about the recent exposures at Mount Elizabeth Middle Secondary School (MEMSS) and Kildala Elementary, March 10-12, due to the protocols put in place by the Northern Health Authority.
“During spring break, because of the availability of people we are not following the same protocols,” said Janet Meyer, Superintendent of Schools for the Coast Mountain Board of Education School District 82.
Provided by Northern Health, the school district posted on their website notifying the public they switched to an ‘online notification process,’ asking people to refer to the NH Public Exposure and Outbreak website about any COVID-19 exposures that happened in the coming days before or during the holidays.
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The school district also stated the new spring break protocols were told to principles and vice-principles of both schools and that if anyone at their schools has tested positive it’s up to the Northern Health Authorities to warn staff or students who are potentially affected by the exposure.
“Some of them may have sent [the new protocols] to the staff and some parents as well,” Meyer said.
There are currently no updates as to what the protocols will look like in the summertime.