Multiple area schools close due to COVID-19 ahead of holiday break
Several schools have been temporarily closed due to COVID-19, including the first closure of a London high school for the current school year.
The London District Catholic School Board’s (LDCSB) website confirms that St. Andre Bessette in the city’s northwest end has been closed.
It is the result of many staff and students having to quarantine after possibly being exposed to the Omicron variant.
As of Monday there are four cases at the school and “more to come,” according to the LDCSB Director of Education Vince Romeo.
“It was because of the vast numbers of students affected and staff over multiple classrooms that we made the decision to move to remote learning for this week,” said Romeo.
Meanwhile the Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB) has closed Westmount Public School ahead of the winter break.
According to the board there have been several close contacts with a confirmed case of COVID-19 with potential links to the Omicron variant.
The number of close contacts has made staffing the school a challenge and therefore it will shift to online learning for the final week.
The same also goes for Caradoc Public School in Mount Brydges. It will temporarily close starting Dec 14. The school will be transitioning to virtual learning until the end of the winter break.
The TVDSB had already closed Princess Elizabeth School last Thursday for similar reasons.
The schools are expected to reopen following the holiday break on Jan. 3, 2022.
In addition, two French-language school are closed according to the Conseil Scolaire Catholique Providence.
École élémentaire catholique Saint-Jean-de-Brébeuf and École élémentaire catholique Sainte-Jeanne-d'Arc are both closed.
They are the latest schools to be affected by a surge of cases in the community that has closed a number of schools.
St. Marguerite d'Youville School, St. Nicholas Catholic School and St. Mary Choir and Orchestra Catholic School were expected to reopen Monday after being closed for nearly a week.
On Monday Ontario reported 1,536 new COVID-19 cases as the positivity rate continues to climb.
- With files from CTV News London's Jennifer Basa
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'The root cause': Canada outlines national action plan to fight auto theft
The federal government is launching what it calls its 'national action plan' to combat auto thefts, which will include stronger penalties for thieves, and increased information sharing between police agencies, government officials and border enforcement.
What is BORG drinking, and why is it a dangerous trend? An expert explains
If you've been to a party lately and haven't seen someone drinking a BORG, you're likely not partying with college students.
The world's best airline is paying staff a bonus of 8 months' salary
Singapore Airlines will reward its employees with a bonus worth nearly eight months of salary, a person familiar with the matter told CNN on Friday.
Michael Cohen says he stole from Trump's company as defence presses key hush money trial witness
Michael Cohen testified Monday that he stole tens of thousands of dollars from his ex-boss Donald Trump’s company, an admission defence lawyers hope to use to undermine Cohen’s credibility.
Red Lobster probes 'endless shrimp' losses after bankruptcy filing
U.S.-based restaurant chain Red Lobster has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in a Florida court after securing $100 million in financing commitments from its existing lenders, the company said on Sunday.
'Next man up': Canucks coach, teammates bracing for Game 7 without Brock Boeser
Questions about how the team is going to handle the absence of star winger Brock Boeser from a do-or-die game seven dominated pre-game interviews with the Vancouver Canucks coach and players Monday morning.
Katy Perry sings goodbye to 'American Idol'
Katy Perry said her goodbyes on 'American Idol' after seven seasons. On Sunday night’s live 'idol' season finale, a medley of Perry's hit songs were performed, including 'Teenage Dream,' 'Dark Horse' and 'California Gurls.'
U.S. Supreme Court rejects appeal from former Guantanamo detainee Omar Khadr
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected an appeal by a Canadian-born former Guantanamo detainee who was seeking to wipe away his war crimes convictions, including for killing a U.S. soldier in Afghanistan.
Woman, 35, in critical condition after her truck collided with a Via Rail train near Montreal
A 35-year-old woman is in critical condition after the pick-up truck she was driving was struck by a Via Rail passenger train Monday morning in Quebec's Monteregie region.