Toronto Is Now Investigating Its First School Case Of The Omicron Variant
All close contacts have been asked to self-isolate.
Toronto Public Health is investigating its first school-based case of the Omicron variant at a local catholic school in Scarborough.
According to a tweet from TPH on December 6, the Omicron variant case was found at Precious Blood Catholic School near Lawrence Avenue East and Pharmacy Avenue.
1/5: TPH is currently investigating TO's first school case of Omicron at Precious Blood Catholic School.
— Toronto Public Health (@TOPublicHealth) December 7, 2021
Close contacts of the reported case have been contacted and asked to self-isolate, check for symptoms, and get tested for COVID-19.
Once the contacted individuals have done so, TPH says they may "return to work and other activities when their self-isolation period ends."
2/5: Our team has identified & followed up with close contacts, & have asked them to:
✔Self-isolate
✔Check for symptoms
✔Get tested with a COVID-19 PCR test
✔Return to work and other activities when their self-isolation period ends
— Toronto Public Health (@TOPublicHealth) December 7, 2021
TPH is urging residents who have not yet been vaccinated to do so due to the "emergence of this new variant & the ongoing transmission of the Delta variant."
According to the World Health Organization, the Omicron variant was first found by South African officials on November 24 and it has now been labelled a variant of concern on the global watch list.
Ontario's first two cases of the Omicron variant were reported in Ottawa on November 28, both following recent travel from Nigeria. There have been multiple cases reported throughout the province and GTA since then.
On December 2, Durham Region Health Department announced a confirmed case of the Omicron variant and TPH reported a "suspected case" at a Toronto restaurant called Piccolo Caffe E Vino on December 3.
Dr. Peter Juni, scientific director of Ontario's COVID-19 Science Advisory Table, told Narcity that people should hold off on large gatherings this holiday season due to the new "highly transmissible variant."
"Meet with your closest friends or closest family, and postpone big family gatherings to summer, full stop," he said.