A school speed zone sign in Kelowna is pictured in this Dec. 4, 2020 photo.

(CARLI BERRY / iNFOnews.ca)

The Central Okanagan school district has identified four new COVID-19 cases in Kelowna schools today and four yesterday, bringing the total to seven new cases reported in the last 48 hours.

The cases were confirmed today, Dec. 4, at Chute Lake Elementary School with exposures from Nov. 23 to 27. The possible exposures at A.S. Matheson Elementary, Okanagan Mission Secondary and Bankhead Elementary happened on Nov. 26. A member of Canyon Falls Middle School community has tested positive and the possible exposure dates are Nov. 26 and 27.

Yesterday, Dec. 3, cases were confirmed at École Casorso Elementary School with potential exposures on Nov. 26 and 27, at Rutland Secondary School with a possible exposure on Nov. 23, 24, 25 and 27, at Watson Road Elementary School with exposures on Nov. 23 and 24 and at KLO Middle School with possible exposures on Nov. 27.

An entire class is self-isolating after the exposure at Casorso Elementary, something school district superintendent Kevin Kaardal said has happened before and is one of the tools used to keep students and staff safe.

"Sometimes they (Interior Health) isolate a class," he said, adding that's often a single exposure, but the decision on who self-isolates and the communication behind that lies with Interior Health.

"What we do know is that we very rarely see transmission or spread and that's what (those protocols are designed to do)," he said.

Attendance in schools have been good in the district since school returned in the fall, Kaardal said, with dips at different schools during flu season as more staff and students stay home with the symptoms. The school district is asking anyone to stay home that may have any COVID-like symptoms.

Kaardal emphasized that exposures in schools are a reflection of exposures in the community and that schools are a safe place to be.

— This story was updated at 5:17 p.m. Friday, Dec. 4, 2020 to add a school exposure at Bankhead Elementary and Canyon Falls Middle.

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