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
Poilievre will do 'anything to win,' must condemn Alex Jones endorsement: Trudeau
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is ramping up his attacks on Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre as he promotes his government's federal budget.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Ukraine uses long-range missiles secretly provided by U.S. to hit Russian-held areas, officials say
Ukraine for the first time has begun using long-range ballistic missiles provided secretly by the United States, bombing a Russian military airfield in Crimea last week and Russian forces in another occupied area overnight, American officials said Wednesday.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
All Alberta wildfires to date in 2024 believed to be human-caused: province
There are 63 wildfires burning in Alberta's forest protection area as of Wednesday morning and seven mutual aid fires, including one in the Municipal District of Peace.
7 surveillance videos linked to extortions of South Asian home builders in Edmonton released
The Edmonton Police Service has released a number of surveillance videos related to a series of extortion cases in the city now dubbed 'Project Gaslight.'
Suspects waving weapons, smashing glass in Toronto jewelry store robbery caught on video
Arrests have been made after five men were captured on video rampaging through a jewelry store in Toronto, waving weapons and smashing glass display cases.
New evidence challenges the Pentagon's account of a horrific attack as the U.S. withdrew from Afghanistan: CNN exclusive
New video evidence uncovered by CNN significantly undermines two Pentagon investigations into an ISIS-K suicide attack outside Kabul airport, during the American withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.
Pilot proposes to flight attendant girlfriend in front of passengers
A Polish pilot proposed to his flight attendant girlfriend during a flight from Warsaw to Krakow, and she said yes.