Ontario Adds COVID-19 protections for Schools

By: Laura Steiner

Ontario will add new protections against COVID-19 for schools.  The measures were announced by Education Minister Stephen Lecce yesterday.

“Nothing is more important than keeping Ontario’s schools safe and open for students and their families,” Lecce said.  The measures come as Chief Medical Officers of Health in Peel, Toronto have issued Orders under section 22 of the Health Prevention and Promotion Act to close schools due to rising COVID-19 case numbers.

The enhance measures include:

• On-site confirmation of self-screening;
• Refresher training upon return from April break;
• Outdoor instruction when possible;
• Enhanced cleaning during the April break;
• Curriculum-linked activities for students;
• Letter to parents promoting best practices for a safe April break; and
• Asymptomatic testing expansion.

The province will begin vaccinating education workers who work directly with students who require special needs over the April break in Peel and Toronto.  The province wants to keep schools open throughout the Stay-At-Home Order.  “If there was room for a decision, schools would be the last thing I’d close,” Co-chair of Ontario Science Table Dr. Adalsteinn Brown said last week.

There are five schools in Milton listed on the Region of Halton’s website as being in COVID-19 outbreak:

• Chris Hadfield Elementary- 2 cases
• Guardian Angels- 5 cases
• Queen of Heaven- 4 cases
• Tiger Jeet Singh Public school- 2 cases

The full breakdown on COVID19 in Halton schools visit the Halton District School Board’s website, and Halton Catholic District School Board’s website.