Ontario premier says 'very comprehensive' back-to-school plan will be revealed next week
Ontario Premier Doug Ford has confirmed a back-to-school plan will be released early next week, saying he has “every confidence in the world” the province will be ready for September.
Ford made the comments on Wednesday at a press conference in Thunder Bay.
"It's a very comprehensive plan," Ford said. "The minister is going to be coming out early next week and rolling out that plan."
Ford said he thinks students in Ontario need to get back to school and want to get back to school.
"The two million kids that are going back to school are going to be safe, as well as the teachers."
The government originally promised the plan would be released in July. Students in Ontario have not been allowed to attend in-person learning since April, when the third wave was spiralling out of control.
Ford said Wednesday the plan will include increased safety protocols for students and teachers, but did not say what they might be.
Ontario got its first hint on Tuesday at what restrictions could be in place this September for unvaccinated students.
The province’s Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Kieran Moore told reporters the COVID-19 outbreak management plan for the new school year applies separate sets of rules based on vaccination status.
Fully immunized students and staff would face minimal interruption from work or school if they come in contact with a "high-risk" carrier of the virus and test negative for COVID-19, Moore said.
Unvaccinated students and staff, Moore added, would immediately have to isolate for a minimum of 10 days and require at least two negative COVID-19 tests, seven days apart, before returning to school.
"If that test on day seven is positive, you're off for another 10 days," Moore cautioned. "That is a potential of 20 days from schools directly because you weren’t immunized and because you’re infectious to others and putting others at risk."
The warning comes as the province struggles to convince more then 300,000 eligible Ontario students to get their initial vaccine, despite accelerating the timeline between doses to 28 days after the first shot.
In order to be fully immunized before the start of the school year, families will have to pay close attention to the calendar.
For example, a student who received partial immunity on July 28, will be eligible for a second dose on Aug. 23, giving them the complete benefits of the COVID-19 vaccine just days before schools reopen.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Canucks beat Oilers 5-4 in comeback to take Game 1
The Vancouver Canucks won the first game of their NHL playoffs series with the Edmonton Oilers 5-4 on Wednesday night coming back from a three-goal deficit.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.