Toronto Is Now Investigating Its First School Case Of The Omicron Variant

Toronto Public Health (TPH) 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 case was found at Precious Blood Catholic School near Lawrence Avenue East and Pharmacy Avenue.

Close contacts of the reported case have been contacted and asked to self-isolate, check for symptoms, and get tested for COVID-19, TPH said.

Once the contacted individuals have done so, they may "return to work and other activities when their self-isolation period ends."

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 reported from South Africa on November 24 and it has since been labelled a variant of concern.

Ontario's first two cases of the Omicron variant were reported in Ottawa on November 28, both in individuals who had recently travelled in 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. TPH reported a "suspected case" of the variant linked to Toronto restaurant 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.

Health Canada has a robust website with all the latest information on COVID-19 vaccines and can answer any questions you may have.