Delays, 'mistakes' in Montreal health messaging to parents as Omicron sweeps schools: letter

Montreal -

COVID-19 messaging from public health to Montreal parents suffered delays and “mistakes” as the quickly-moving coronavirus tore through the city’s classrooms in recent days, infecting thousands across the province.

A Thursday letter to parents from Montreal regional public health obtained by CTV News reveals the rapid spread of the Omicron variant led to delays in contact tracing and contacting parents with screening and isolation information.

“The significant increase in cases and outbreaks in schools, particularly elementary schools, has led to a delay in the delivery of letters of instructions to parents regarding isolation and screening recommendations for their children,” read the Thurday letter.

“Amidst the letters sent in the past few days from public health to parents through the schools, some mistakes were discovered, caused by programming issues in automated emails,” it continued.

“It is possible that certain parents of children having been in contact with a case of COVID-19 did not receive our recommendation letters in a timely fashion.”

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School has been out since Dec. 20. Public health asked parents not to extend social gatherings beyond their family bubbles for the remaining holiday break, and to get tested if they have symptoms of COVID-19.

Children across Quebec are set to return to class on Jan. 10. A complete list of safety measures in education can be found here.

The letter came as thousands of students and staff remain in isolation with active COVID-19 infections. 

As of Dec. 22, 7,646 students and 1,478 staff members across the public and private systems were reportedly infected. That number includes students learning from home. 

Since schools resumed classes on Aug. 23, 2,460 have reported at least one or more positive cases. 

A complete list of schools dealing with active outbreaks can be found here.

Like elsewhere in Quebec, the prevelence of the Omicron variant has grown alongside a quickly increasing positivity rate among Montrealers. 

Also on Thursday, Montreal public health director Dr. Mylène Drouin announced at a press conference the variant accounted for 90 per cent of new cases in the city. "We have a positivity rate that is now 18 to 20 per cent," she said. 

She also told residents contact tracers were not able to keep up with the rapidly increasing cases. 

"We need you to do some of the work," she said. "If you have symptoms -- fever, sore throat -- we ask you to wear a mask, isolate and get tested, either with a rapid test or in a test centre."