Schools Report COVID-19 Cases As Ontario Government Reporting System Lags | The Canadian News

TORONTO – Three Toronto schools have confirmed COVID-19 cases, the latest to report infections less than a week after Ontario students returned to class with looser pandemic restrictions.

The Toronto Department of Public Health said Sunday that cases had been identified in schools in the far east: Fraser Mustard Early Learning Academy, St-Michel French Catholic Elementary and West Hill Collegiate Institute.

“This is not unexpected given that COVID-19 continues to circulate in our city and how transmissible the Delta variant is,” the health unit said in a Twitter statement. “(Toronto Public Health) is also investigating other cases of COVID-19 in our school communities.”

The health unit said affected people will be notified, asked to stay home and watch for symptoms of the virus.

Toronto schools are the latest in the province to report cases of the virus since classes resumed this month.

The Greater Essex County District School Board, which covers schools in Windsor, Ontario, and the surrounding area, reported three new cases of COVID-19 in schools on Monday and a total of seven active cases.

Some cases have been reported in other parts of the province since classes resumed in most regions last week.

All students at an elementary school in Cornwall, Ontario, were fired for at least a week starting Monday for a virus case that is still being investigated by public health.

Viscount Alexander Public School posted on social media Sunday saying that “one individual” at the school had tested positive, with “multiple confirmed and probable exposures” at the school identified by the Eastern Ontario Health Unit.

“Your children’s teachers will contact you before the end of the school day, either by email or by phone, with information on remote instructions for the remainder of the week,” the school wrote in a follow-up post Monday. “Thank you for your patience and understanding.”

A comprehensive picture of COVID-19 in Ontario schools was difficult to assess on Monday because the provincial government dashboard detailing cases in schools and daycare centers had not yet been updated since July.

The government said on Monday that the portal would be active “in the next few days.” He said the meetings were held a few days after the return to school before they had to start reporting the cases to the province. Boards should report information on COVID-19 cases on their individual websites.

Recent guidelines from the Ministry of Education have allowed schools to loosen public health restrictions on shared spaces like cafeterias as the third school year interrupted by the pandemic begins.

Daily symptom detection and indoor masking is still required.

The province also allows schools to conduct extracurricular activities such as sports, although some health units, such as Toronto and Windsor, chose not to allow those activities at the beginning of the school year.

Opposition politicians reacted to news of virus cases in schools on Monday by criticizing the government for its plans to reopen schools.

Liberal leader Steven Del Duca echoed criticism that Prime Minister Doug Ford’s government has not broken down how it spent federal pandemic money earmarked for reopening schools.

“Our children and the reopening of our school are at risk because Doug Ford did not plan or prepare,” Del Duca commented on Twitter.

NDP leader Andrea Horwath held a press conference Monday morning expressing concern about reports of large classes with more than 30 students. She called on the government to reduce class sizes to better support students and minimize the risk of COVID-19.

“We all know that we must do the best with our children, we must do the right thing with the children in the classrooms,” he said. “Sadly, Doug Ford is rolling the dice when it comes to the health and well-being of our children.”

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