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Entire Swiss school quarantined over two cases of Omicron variant

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Testing in schools has been ramped up after an increase in Covid-19 infections in Switzerland. Keystone / Gian Ehrenzeller

Around 2,000 people, including 1,600 children at the International School of Geneva, will have to quarantine for ten days.

Two confirmed cases of the Omicron variant were detected at the La Châtaigneraie campus of the International School of Geneva in Founex this week. On Thursday, the cantonal medical services of the cantons of Geneva and Vaud (where the school is located) took a joint decision to quarantine all pupils and staff on the campus for ten days. These two cases are linked a family being exposed to an Omicron infected person returning from a trip to South Africa.

Apart from quarantining, all those affected will have to undergo a PCR test. Those in close contact will also have to take measures.

“Parents and siblings of the pupils must also be tested for the presence of the Omicron variant as soon as possible,” said the local authorities in a statement. 

So far, only a few cases of Omicron have been identified in Switzerland and none in Geneva or Vaud until now.

“This fact requires us today, as a precautionary principle, to decide on strong measures,” said the Geneva authorities. 
 

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