Niagara, Ont. students who are vaccinated won’t need to isolate if exposed to COVID-19 in class
Vaccinated students in Niagara, Ont. will no longer be told to isolate for seven days if there is a lab-confirmed case of COVID-19 in their class.
Instead, the isolation period will be restricted to unvaccinated students and staff—and will last for five days.
In an interview with NEWSTALK 610 CKTB, Niagara’s Acting Medical Officer of Health Dr. Mustafa Hirji said the new guidance is an update from “an earlier draft” following discussions with the region’s school boards.
“What we are going to be doing is that if there is a test confirmed case of COVID-19 in the class, we want to stop that transmission right in its tracks,” Hirji said. “And what we're going to do is we're going to have any unvaccinated students and staff have to be dismissed from that class for the next five days.”
“Vaccinated students will be able to remain in place.”
Students and staff who isolate will also need to show a negative rapid test prior to returning to school.
Last week, Hirji issued memos directing schools to monitor carbon dioxide levels in schools and to dismiss full cohorts after the discovery of a positive COVID-19 case, regardless of vaccination status. He also urged principals to report all detected cases of COVID-19, something the province is no longer requiring, and to require a medical exemption if students can’t wear masks.
The measures, which were considerably more stringent than in most other areas of the province, prompted Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Kieran Moore to write a letter expressing “concern” over the direction.
In the letter, Moore strongly urges Hirji to “reconsider” his approach “in alignment with provincial direction.”
“You are aware that Niagara is the only jurisdiction in Ontario or Canada to continue this practice in the face of the increased transmissibility of the Omicron variant and that the negative consequences of school dismissal and closure are significant to the mental, social and education wellbeing of children and youth,” Moore wrote regarding the seven-day isolation period.
Hirji says the decision to adjust his directive was not swayed by Moore’s letter, but rather concern over staffing at schools.
“It was definitely a discussion with the school boards,” Hirji told NEWSTALK 610 CKTB Monday. “They're of course very stretched right now in terms of their staffing and being able to do everything, and we came to this compromise that rather than seven days, we would do five days—but five days plus a test.”
All other measures remain the same, Hirji added.
With files from Chris Herhalt
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Bodies recovered in Mexico likely 2 Australians, 1 American who went missing: officials
Three bodies recovered in an area of Baja California are likely to be those of the two Australians and an American who went missing last weekend during a camping and surfing trip, the state prosecutor’s office said Saturday.
Work stoppage possible as WestJet issues lockout notice to maintenance engineers' union
A lockout notice issued by WestJet to a union representing aircraft maintenance engineers could result in a work stoppage next week.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
London Drugs begins 'gradual reopening' on 7th day after cyberattack
Almost a week after all London Drugs stores across Western Canada abruptly closed amid a cyberattack, they began a "gradual reopening" on Saturday.
Auston Matthews skates ahead of Game 7, status unclear with season on the line
Auston Matthews was back on the ice with his teammates Saturday.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
Snakes almost on a plane: U.S. TSA discovers a bag with small snakes in passenger's pants
According to an X post by the Transportation Security Administration, officers at the Miami International Airport found the small bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's trousers on April 26 at a checkpoint.