A coronavirus variant that originated in the United Kingdom has been detected in a teacher at a Brampton high school.
A spokesperson for the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board (DPCDSB) confirmed Wednesday that two teachers at one of their schools recently tested positive for COVID-19 and one of them contracted the more transmissible B.1.1.7 variant. A school board trustee told CTV News Toronto that the teachers are from St. Roche Catholic Secondary School.
"They were teaching students remotely from the school, however, as per Ministry directive, teachers are permitted to teach remotely from the school if they feel that the resources at school, such as SMART Boards, AV and other technology supports available, permitted them to provide a better teaching/learning environment than they would have if they were teaching remotely from home," the spokesperson said in an email to CP24.
He said the teachers exercised together despite the board prohibiting recreational use of gyms and weight rooms by staff.
"I can confirm that the two teachers were exercising together and that, at least for a portion of the time, they were not wearing masks, which was, and remains a mandatory requirement of all employees while in Board facilities," the spokesperson said.
Peel Region’s medical officer of health Dr. Lawrence Loh said on Wednesday afternoon that an investigation into the cases had concluded.
"It's important to note that the school was closed to general in-person learning at the time that the exposure occurred," Loh said. "And from our investigation, we have identified that no one else was exposed and that the outbreak has been declared over and individuals are safely self-isolating."
Peel Public Health said the second case has been sent for variant testing.
There have been 23 confirmed cases of COVID-19 variants in Peel Region as of Wednesday. The province has now identified a total of 228 lab-confirmed cases of the U.K. variant and three cases of the South African variant, also known as B.1.351.
Loh says community reopening will follow too closely after kids go back to class
Schools in Peel Region, along with Toronto and York Region, will reopen for in-person learning next week.
The province announced earlier this week that the stay-at-home order in Toronto, Peel Region, and York Region would end around a week later on Feb. 22.
Loh said lifting restrictions on the community just days after schools reopen doesn’t leave enough time to fully determine the impact of the resumption of in-person learning.
Also, given the emergence of variants in the region, there should be a gradual approach to reopening, the doctor added.
"There are variants in our midst, which have the potential to reverse everything that we have all worked hard and sacrificed so much for," Loh said.
"So, I must be clear as decisions around reopening are taken, that rapidly reopening is not a formula for success. It is a formula for a third wave."
A third shutdown will likely permanently destroy businesses that have been struggling throughout the pandemic, Loh noted.
"A winning strategy that we can all ascribe to is to hold on to the measures we have taken for just a little longer individually. Get the kids back in school, get more vaccines, and chase the warmer weather of spring," he said.
"And what we do with these next few weeks as schools reopen could mean the difference between months more of agony versus a successful vaccination ramp up, economic reopening with confidence and an exit from this nightmare."
