By Canadian Press

Further testing finds variant from the United Kingdom in some B.C. schools

Feb 21, 2021 | 3:11 PM

SURREY, B.C. — The faster-spreading COVID-19 variant first discovered in the United Kingdom has made its way into some British Columbia schools. 

The superintendent of the Surrey School District tweeted a notice late Saturday that had been issued to parents at Woodward Hill Elementary, Tamanawis Secondary and A.H.P. Matthew Elementary schools.

The notice from Superintendent Jordan Tinney says while notifications were made shortly after tests confirmed COVID-19 diagnoses, different tests that take longer are needed to confirm the presence of the more infectious variants. 

In at least two of the school outbreaks, the infections date back to late January. 

The notice says in the case of Woodward Hill, the Fraser Health authority has directed two classes and more than 20 people to stay home, get tested and not return until they test negative for the virus.

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Fraser Health has also reached out to six people at the high school and at Matthew Elementary that were direct contacts of two people infected with the variant, telling them to self isolate and get tested. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 21, 2021. 

The Canadian Press