THE process Fraser Health uses to notify school communities of COVID-19 exposures has changed significantly and Surrey Schools Superintendent Jordan Tinney has prepared a short video explaining the shift in protocol.

In the past, when there was a confirmed case of COVID-19 attached to a school, the entire school would get a broad notice of exposure.

“We had two questions that would come up,” said Tinney, “One, people just wanted to know ‘does this impact me or my child?’ and ‘when does it end – when the contracting tracing is done, would I know?’”

Now, there will now be three types letters issued to a school where there is a confirmed case:

1. Notice of Exposure – If there is a case of COVID-19 attached to a specific classroom, students and staff in that class will be notified that they may have been in contact with someone who tested positive.

2. Notice of Non-exposure – The entire school community where there has been an exposure will receive notification that there has been a case at the school, but that they have not been exposed. Contact tracing, however, is still in process by Fraser Health.

3. School bulletin – A bulletin will be issued to the entire school community when the contact tracing for that confirmed case is complete.

“This will identify the specific people (impacted) in the classes, and it lets the rest of the school know that they’re not directly impacted – there’s been a case, but it doesn’t include you,” explained Tinney.

Surrey Schools has prepared a visual flowchart of the new process HERE.

You can also view the video at www.surreyschools.ca/covid19, where there will be written transcripts in English, Punjabi, Chinese and Arabic.