During a news conference this afternoon, Montreal’s public health director Dr. Mylène Drouin said that as of this week, 100 per cent of all positive COVID-19 tests in the city have had their DNA screened to check if they are variant cases. The comprehensive testing shows that between 8 and 10 per cent of new COVID-19 cases in the city are now presumed to be linked to the more transmissible United Kingdom variant.
Drouin went on to say the variant is mostly circulating among children in schools and daycares, who are in turn spreading it to their family. So far, there have been 22 outbreaks across the province involving variants, including 11 in schools, six in daycares, three in workplaces and two “in social contexts,” Drouin said.
Following the press conference, The Canadian Press reported that because of the spread of these variants, elementary-school students in Greater Montreal will be asked to wear a medical mask in class after spring break. Minister of Education Jean-François Roberge is expected to announce the changes on Thursday, according to information gathered.
