'What more could be out there?' LDCSB reacts swiftly to possible Omicron threat
The director of the London District Catholic School Board (LDCSB) tells CTV News London his teams reacted 'swiftly' to the threat of the Omicron variant in three schools.
Vince Romeo says his board did not learn until the mid-afternoon Monday that it potentially had the new variant in its system.
Then on Monday evening, Romeo says the Omicron threat intensified.
“It wasn’t until late last evening when we realized just how many staff and students would be affected by this news.”
Middlesex-London Health Unit officials confirmed there are probable cases of the variant in the region.
The schools impacted are St. Marguerite d’Youville in northwest London, St. Nicholas in west London and St. Mary Choir and Orchestra school in the city’s Old East Village.
All the schools will be closed for the rest of this week. Students will continue classes remotely.
Not all parents and students received the late-night communication advising them to keep their children at home.
But the mother of St. Marguerite d’Youville student Rebecca Wijkoon did receive it.
Still, she and her daughter, a Grade 5 student, walked to the school on a cold morning to get a laptop for remote learning.
Rebecca tells CTV News London older students had heard talk of something concerning in the school late Monday.
“The school closed because I heard the people are sick from the COVID.”
Rebecca Wijkoon and her mother are seen leaving St. Marguerite d'Youville Catholic Elementary School on Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2021. The pair was picking up a laptop for at-home learning after the school was one of three closed due the potential threat of the COVID-19 Omicron variant. (Sean Irvine / CTV News)
Romeo says a high number of potential close contacts lead to the decision to close the school.
“So in our case, it was multiple schools over multiple classrooms affecting 1,300 students and multiple staff, upwards of 50 in our case.”
In recent months, vaccinated students continued to go to school if a few cases of COVID-19 entered a school.
But with the arrival of Omicron, Romeo says the response to the virus has again changed.
“The direction in this case with the new variant is, that regardless of your vaccination status, the quarantine period applies to all students and staff. That is different than what we’ve responded to in the past.”
London District Catholic School Board Director Vince Romeo is seen during a Zoom interview with CTV News London on Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2021.
And now, with the response focused on the present, there is some concern about the future.
Romeo admits putting three schools into remote learning so quickly has him concerned.
“In our case, the fact that our first call affected so many students and three schools all at one time. It’s enough to give us the thought of, ‘What more could be out there and what more do we need to respond to?’”
While the plan is for the three schools to reopen next Monday, Dec. 13, Romeo admits the LDCSB may alter the dates given the evolving situation in consultation with the MLHU.
Meanwhile, the Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB) says that two schools have identified close contacts to possible Omicron cases.
Individuals at Princess Elizabeth Public School in London and Delaware Public School in Delaware are isolating.
The board has decided not to close those schools at this time.
- With files from CTV News London's Justin Zadorsky
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
More than half the Canadians once detained in Syrian camps for suspected ISIS family members have returned home
A total of 29 Canadians have been freed from detention camps in northeast Syria and brought back to Canada since human rights advocates began lobbying for their release years ago.
Rare severe solar storm Friday could bring spectacular aurora light show across Canada
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Canada abstains from Palestinian UN membership vote but supports two-state solution
Canada was one of 25 countries that abstained from a United Nations vote on Palestinian membership that passed with overwhelming support on Friday.
Amish youth experience a rite of passage called Rumspringa. It’s not what you might think
The idea of “Rumspringa” has a specific spot in the American imagination. A rite of passage for young people in some Amish communities, Rumspringa is seen by most outsiders as a wild time away from strict Amish rules, when teenagers can experiment with the modern vices of the world.
Djokovic needs medical attention after getting knocked on the head by a water bottle at Italian Open
Novak Djokovic needed medical attention after apparently getting knocked on the head by a water bottle after a win at the Italian Open on Friday.