Possible Omicron exposure forces two Montreal area schools to close
Two schools in Montreal have closed after a potential exposure to the Omicron variant.
According to COVID Écoles Québec, École Sainte-Geneviève-Sud in Lasalle and École primaire des Coquelicots in Verdun have both been shut down until December 24.
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COVID Écoles Québec, a publication that monitors COVID-19 outbreaks across schools in the province, says “various students” have received a positive COVID-19 Omicron test.
All students and staff are being asked to get tested for the virus by December 22.
***2eme école avec cas Omicron à Montréal:
École Sainte-Geneviève Sud de Lasalle***#polqc #assnat #qcpoli pic.twitter.com/HEWBxw0xwh
— Covid Ecoles Quebec (@CovidEcoles) December 15, 2021
Staff and students are being asked to send their results to the respective schools once they receive their results.
Earlier this week, Quebec’s Health Minister Christian Dubé announced that rapid tests will be made available to Quebecers at all local pharmacies, in an attempt to quickly monitor the spread of Omicron.
Dubé also urged Quebecers to work from amid a rise in cases and hospitalizations.
In French, the minister said that experts agree that omicron is “much more transmissible than the Delta variant,” citing that it travels “faster and stronger.”
On Tuesday, Quebec reported an increase of 25 hospitalizations from the day before, totalling 293 across the province.
Dubé says 14 cases of the Omicron variant have been detected in Montreal, as of Tuesday, five of which are associated with international travel.