Three schools in the Fraser Health region are being closed due to COVID-19 outbreaks or clusters that were announced this weekend.

Fraser Health announced on November 14 that it declared a COVID-19 outbreak at Cambridge Elementary School (6115 150th Street) in Surrey. As of the announcement, seven cases had been confirmed.

In response to the outbreak, Fraser Health advised the Surrey School District to close the school for two weeks to prevent any potential transmission. It will reopen on November 30.

The school stated that anyone at the school from November 2 to November 13 must self-isolate for 14 days after the last date of visit.

Cambridge has had previous exposure events from October 13 to 14; on October 16; from October 19 to 22; and from November 2 to 5.

This is the second outbreak to be declared in a school during the pandemic.

On October 22, B.C. provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry confirmed B.C.’s first school outbreak had been declared at École de l’Anse-au-sable in Kelowna, following an exposure event from October 13 to 15. The outbreak was declared over on November 5.

Henry had explained that a cluster is when two or more people, who attended school, are confirmed as positive. In comparison, an outbreak in a school setting is declared when widespread transmission is taking place between groups of classes or learning groups in a school and the chains of transmission are unclear.

Meanwhile, Fraser Health and the Delta School District are working together to manage a cluster of six positive cases at Jarvis Traditional Elementary School (7670 118 Street) in Delta.

The Delta School District will close the school for a two-week period due to staffing challenges resulting from the cluster.

The school had previous exposure events on October 5 and 7; from November 2 to 5; and on November 6 and 9.

Fraser Health is also working with Al-Hidayah School (7 6th Street), an independent school in New Westminster, where a cluster of eight positive cases were confirmed as of November 14.

The school informed Fraser Health that they will also close their school due to staffing challenges posed by the cluster.

The school previously had an exposure event on November 9.