Vancouver councillor urges caution after family infected in classroom COVID-19 exposure

A Vancouver metropolis councillor is sharing her household’s story as she says the chance of COVID-19 transmission in colleges and the neighborhood stays actual.

Coun. Rebecca Bligh says her brother and sister-in-law and three nieces and nephews got here down with the virus after one of many children was initially uncovered within the classroom.

“It began with the publicity to one of many youngsters at school,” she stated. The kid then unknowingly performed with some cousins, she added.

“They had been knowledgeable of the publicity — since signs began to come back up after which they acquired examined. They acquired a optimistic check, after which type of one after the other, all three children, day after day, really went down with COVID.”

Whereas not one of the youngsters had been sufficiently old to be immunized, the adults had been double vaccinated, Bligh stated, and to date affected by minor signs.

However she stated the incident highlights the truth that COVID-19 transmission does occur in colleges, and the truth that youngsters are in a position to convey it house to their dad and mom.

That was of explicit concern in her sister-in-law’s case, who Bligh stated is at excessive danger from attributable to type-1 diabetes.

“The issues or anticipation of how critical it may get or can be was actually entrance of thoughts,” she stated.

The publicity and transmissions got here although the Metropolis of Vancouver has among the many lowest per-capita case charges within the province, and that 5 out of six of Vancouver’s native well being areas have an over 90 per cent double vaccination charge.

The province has maintained that the chance of in-school transmission stays low, and has made masks necessary for workers and college students in kindergarten to Grade 12.

Some dad and mom and the BC Academics’ Federation have referred to as for more durable protocols, together with improved air flow in school rooms.

In accordance with the BC Centre for Illness Management’s newest knowledge abstract, youngsters aged 5 to 11 years outdated — who stay ineligible for immunization — proceed to have a per-capita new case charge about double different age teams, although the numbers have come down considerably since an alarming spike in September and October.

Bligh stated her message is that the pandemic stays removed from over, and that households and communities have to to remain vigilant and proceed taking precautions.

“On the finish of the day, it’s extraordinarily contagious. And we see that in my household’s circumstance, with all 4 members of the family getting it regardless of masks and hand washing and what have you ever,” she stated.

“My message is we’ve acquired to get herd immunity, we’ve acquired to get that broader inhabitants vaccinated. All of us play a job in that. And for these youngsters which are immune-compromised or can’t get vaccinated, we’ve acquired to do it for them too.”

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