Toronto investigating first case of Omicron variant in a school
Toronto Public Health is investigating its first school case of the new Omicron variant in Scarborough.
Few details have been released, but officials say the case was identified at Precious Blood Catholic School, located near Lawrence and Pharmacy avenues.
It is not known if the case is in a student or a staff member.
Close contacts of the individual have been identified, officials said, and have been asked to self-isolate, check for symptoms and get a COVID-19 PCR test.
"Given the emergence of this new variant & the ongoing transmission of the Delta variant, it's more important than ever to get vaccination if you haven't already," Toronto Public Health said in a tweet. "We thank residents and our school communities for doing their part to keep each other safe."
Precious Blood Catholic School was closed to in-person learning in early November after 13 COVID-19 cases were identified. According to the Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB) at the time, 11 of the infections were among students and two were among staff.
Just under half were identified using take-home PCR tests.
The TCDSB website shows there is one active case in a student as of Dec. 3. The school remains open.
In a statement to CP24, the Toronto Catholic District School Board said they were informed of the investigation into a possible Omicron case Monday night.
“Students, staff, and any impacted individuals who may have been exposed have been asked to stay home and self-isolate. The school remains open,” TCDSB Spokesperson Shazia Vlahos said. “Students and staff who do not receive direction from TPH to self-isolate can continue to attend school based on the results of daily screening. We continue to work with TPH during this ongoing investigation.”
The news comes just hours after public health officials said they have declared an outbreak in six additional schools after two or more COVID-19 cases were identified and linked within those settings.
The six schools include Branksome Hall, Dewson Street Junior Public School, Michael Power Saint Joseph High, Holy Angels Catholic School, Maurice Cody Junior Public School and Prince of Peace Catholic School.
"We're carefully investigating and following our process of working w/our school community to notify close contacts & ask them to stay home, monitor for symptoms and get tested," officials said on social media.
As of Monday, Ontario officials have confirmed at least 13 cases of the Omicron variant in the province. One of those cases was reported in Toronto while three additional cases are in Durham, two are in Peel and one is in York.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Why drivers in Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada will see a gas price spike, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
How to avoid the trap of becoming 'house poor'
The journey to home ownership can be exciting, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew warns about the trappings of becoming 'house poor' -- where an overwhelming portion of your income is devoured by housing costs. Liew offers some practical strategies to maintain better financial health while owning a home.
It's the biggest election in history. Here's why few Indians in Canada will take part
In the Indian general election that gets underway on Friday, almost a billion people are eligible to vote, but a vast majority of the overseas Indian community in Canada won't be casting a ballot.
McDonald's customers left with 'zero value' collection of free hot drink stickers after company ends program
It took years for Vinnie Deluca to collect more than 400 cards worth of free McDonald's McCafe coffee, a collection that now has "zero value" after the company discontinued the program.
Jury selection in Trump hush money trial faces pivotal stretch as former U.S. president returns to court
Jury selection in the hush money trial of Donald Trump enters a pivotal and potentially final stretch Thursday as lawyers look to round out the panel of New Yorkers that will decide the first-ever criminal case against a former president.
Toxic forever chemicals in drinking water: Is Canada doing enough?
As the United States sets its first national limits on toxic forever chemicals in drinking water, researchers say Canada is lagging when it comes to regulations.
Where did the gold go? Crime expert weighs in on unfolding Pearson airport heist investigation
Almost 7,000 bars of pure gold were stolen from Pearson International Airport exactly one year ago during an elaborate heist, but so far only a tiny fraction of that stolen loot has been found.
Biden scores endorsements from Kennedy family, looking to shore up support against Trump and RFK Jr.
U.S. President Joe Biden will accept endorsements from at least 15 members of the Kennedy political family during a campaign stop in Philadelphia on Thursday as he aims to undermine Donald Trump and marginalize the candidacy of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.