On Dec. 1, the first case of the Omicron Covid-19 variant in the United States was confirmed in California. Then, on Dec. 2, a second case was reported in Minnesota. 

Currently, 36 states have confirmed cases of the Omicron variant of COVID-19. 

Omicron first emerged in South Africa and has now spread worldwide. 

With the arrival of Omicron, states such as New York and California have returned to indoor masks mandates.

President Joe Biden spoke to the nation about the emergence of Omicron on Nov. 29, calling it “a cause for concern, not a cause for panic.”

New Hampshire recently confirmed its first case of the new variant and currently has the highest spread of COVID-19 infections per capita in the country. New Hampshire also has the highest percentage of unvaccinated people (35 percent) of any New England state. 

This all runs the risk of creating new clusters, which have been popping up throughout the state.

Headmaster Dr. Morris said he was unsure if the proliferation of the virus statewide will result in another period of remote learning. “I think it’s too early to tell,” said Dr. Morris. “We’ll just continue to monitor it and go from there.”

There are also no changes or alterations to school policy that have been made due to the Omicron variant.  “We have no current plans to change any of our protocols as a result of the Omicron variant,” said Dr. Morris. 

No clubs or school events have been canceled, rescheduled or altered in response to the Omicron variant. 

Dr. Morris said that PA will continue to heed advice from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (NHDHHS).

“I think anything that we would do would be similar to the plans we have in place now,” he said. “We will continue to take our guidance from the NHDHHS and will update our practices based on the information they provide.”

Despite the newfound problems Omicron poses, Dr. Morris remains optimistic. 

“As we’ve learned, navigating COVID-19 is a long road. We’ll get through it as a community,” he said.