Ontario opposition call for rapid tests sooner as COVID-19 school closures rise
Opposition politicians want widespread rapid COVID-19 tests for Ontario students sooner as more schools close due to cases of the virus, but the education minister says the situation is under control.
Government figures as of Thursday said 16 schools were closed due to COVID-19 outbreaks or other operational considerations.
Nearly 700 of the province's 4,844 schools -- or just over 14 per cent -- had a reported COVID-19 case.
In light of the school closures, Ontario Green Leader Mike Schreiner called on the government to make rapid tests free and accessible now, rather than wait for the December holiday break as planned.
The Opposition New Democrats also raised the issue in the legislature on Thursday, saying rapid tests should have been available earlier and asked for action to stop the spike in school cases.
Education Minister Stephen Lecce says five of the closed schools were closed for operational reasons, not COVID-19 outbreaks, and maintained that schools are safe for students.
He also pointed to the province's plan to send every child home with a rapid test kit over the December holidays and other testing initiatives.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 25, 2021.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
Boeing's financial woes continue, while families of crash victims urge U.S. to prosecute the company
Boeing said Wednesday that it lost US$355 million on falling revenue in the first quarter, another sign of the crisis gripping the aircraft manufacturer as it faces increasing scrutiny over the safety of its planes and accusations of shoddy work from a growing number of whistleblowers.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.