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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 11, 2014
See Page 14
Pretty much everyone went to market! PHOTOS BY
GORD GOBLE
It was difficult to move along 48th Avenue Sunday as a huge crowd showed up for the opening day of the Ladner Village Market’s 2014 season. Roland Callender (above) provided entertainment as shoppers perused offering from 160 artisans and vendors. More photos on Page 23 and at www.delta-optimist.com.
SCAN WITH TO REVEAL PHOTOS
Virus wreaks havoc at school
Noro outbreak hits Delta Secondary hard as more than 60 per cent of student population absent from class BY
SANDOR GYARMATI
sgyarmati@delta-optimist.com
Things are back to normal at Delta Secondary following an outbreak of Norovirus last week that sickened hundreds of students. Fraser Health has confirmed that Norovirus was the culprit that made over 300 students ill starting Wednesday and hitting hard Thursday with students literally vomiting in the school. More than 60 per cent of the school population didn’t show up on Friday. Noting absenteeism was back down to its normal level on Monday with no additional cases reported, principal Terry Ainge said many parents likely kept their kids home Friday as a precaution. Ainge said a cleaning crew over a couple of days worked diligently to disinfect all surfaces and that work is completed. He added the virus might have already been circulating in the community for
some time before creeping into the school. A spokesperson with Fraser Health said gastrointestinal illnesses are usually not reportable by the health region, but once more than 10 per cent of the DSS population was hit, a public notice had to be issued. The illness usually passes between 24 to 48 hours, so the risk of the highly contagious virus spreading has subsided, she said. Norovirus outbreaks are seen in the news more often occurring in care homes or cruise ships, but areas where so many people are in close quarters, like schools, are also susceptible. People can become infected with the gastrointestinal virus in several ways, including when someone vomits and people nearby swallow tiny droplets from the air. See VIRUS page 3
PHOTO BY
GORD GOBLE
There were a lot of empty desks in Delta Secondary classrooms last Friday after an outbreak of the Norovirus at the Ladner high school.