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UPDATE: COVID outbreaks close two Okanagan Christian schools

Vernon and Salmon Arm schools closed until mid November with 39 and 35 cases respectively
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Vernon Christian School has been closed for two weeks. (VCS photo)

Two independent schools have closed their doors for the next two weeks due to COVID-19 outbreaks.

Vernon Christian School closed Nov. 4, reopening Nov. 18, due to a number of cases and close contacts within the school, and upon the recommendation of Interior Health. There were 39 cases associated with the outbreak.

READ MORE: COVID-19 exposures at Vernon’s Catholic and Christian schools

Both the secondary and elementary campuses on Pleasant Valley Road are closed.

“VCS will continue to work closely with IH and the Independent Schools Rapid Response Team to ensure a safe and effective on-campus learning environment,” principal Matt Driediger said. “We believe that this ‘circuit-breaker’ closure will help to prevent transmission of the virus within the school community, and families have been encouraged to diligently follow the guidance of Public Health Officers.”

Salmon Arm’s King’s Christian School also has an outbreak and is closed. There were 35 cases associated with the outbreak.

“Declaring outbreaks and temporary closure was felt to be necessary to break the chain of transmission at these schools where we have seen a high and rapid increase in the number of cases,” Interior Health said. “We needed to address in-school transmission which was not being clearly controlled by isolation and other public health management measures alone.”

The Christian schools are independent from their respective Vernon and North Okanagan-Shsuwap school districts.

READ MORE: COVID-19 exposures at 7 Vernon schools


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Jennifer Smith

About the Author: Jennifer Smith

Vernon has always been my home, and I've been working at The Morning Star since 2004.
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