Warren School District Is 'Closely Monitoring' Data As Omicron Hits U.S.

WARREN, NJ — The Warren Township School District is "closely monitioring" data as the first positive case for the omicron variant of the coronavirus was reported in the U.S. on Wednesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"The district closely monitors health and safety guidance and our local data. We are happy that our existing mitigation efforts have allowed us to keep all of our schools open with minimal interruptions," said Superintendent Dr. Matthew Mingle.

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Dubbed a "variant of concern" by the World Health Organization(WHO), it was first identified last week in South Africa. Since then clusters of cases were also identified in about two dozen nations, including Canada and several countries in Europe.

As of Wednesday, the CDC reported a person in California was the first in the U.S. to test positive for the omicron variant of the coronavirus. The patient was fully vaccinated and had returned from South Africa on Nov. 22, the San Francisco Department of Health said. Read More: 1st U.S. Omicron Variant Case Detected In CA

"We urge all students, parents, and staff members to take precautions in their personal lives and stay home from school or work and get tested if they develop any symptoms consistent with COVID-19," said Mingle.

On Wednesday, the Warren Township School District reported four new positive COVID-19 cases. Since the start of the school year on Sept. 1, the district has reported a total of 44 positive cases.

Here is a breakdown of the cases since Sept. 1:

• Angelo L. Tomaso School - 5
• Central School - 10
• Mt. Horeb School - 9
• Woodland School - 9
• Warren Middle School - 8
• BOE Admin Office / Buildings & Grounds /Transportation - 3

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