Ontario public schools now account for 36 per cent of the province's active COVID-19 cases
Ontario’s publicly-funded school boards are reporting another 88 new cases of COVID-19 today as they continue to account for an increasingly large share of Ontario’s active caseload.
The number of school-related infections has been mostly stable for weeks now but with cases quickly dropping in the broader community schools now make up a bigger share of Ontario’s active cases than they have at any point since the resumption of classes last month.
As of today there are 1,159 active cases associated with public schools, accounting for more than 36 per cent of Ontario’s active caseload.
At this point last week there were 1,255 active cases associated with the school system but that only accounted for 32 per cent of the province’s active caseload. Two weeks ago there were 1,234 active cases, accounting for 28 per cent of Ontario’s active caseload.
The increase in the share of cases associated with public schools comes amid some optimism that Health Canada will soon approve the use of the Pfizer vaccine in children ages five to 11.
During a meeting of Toronto’s Board of Health on Monday, Associate Medical Officer of Health Dr. Vinita Dubey detailed some of the efforts that Toronto Public Health is taking to prepare for the administration of vaccines to that group, which is estimated to include about 200,000 people in the city.
“We are collaborating with our health sector partners to plan for clinics and we are also connecting with school boards, community representatives and the ministry of health to have a really diverse plan to be able to vaccinate this age group,” she said. “The vaccination strategy will be informed based on a needs-based approach and you can see that it will be different from the adult vaccination strategy. For example, schools as a location where vaccines are provided may be more preferable and we are currently working to get more information from parents to find out what are some of their preferred places to receive the vaccine.”
According to the latest data, there are currently 582 schools across Ontario with at least one active case of COVID-19. That number previously peaked at 819 in late September but has been trending downward in recent weeks.
Meanwhile there are only two schools across Ontario that are closed due to COVID-19 outbreaks today following the resumption of in-person learning at Etobicoke’s Greenholme Junior Middle School this morning. That school was previously ordered to close on Oct. 14 after 10 cases were linked to the building.
It should be noted that there are at least 147 individual classroom cohorts in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area that are self-isolating following positive cases in the classroom.
The total number of school-related cases confirmed to date also remains well ahead of where it was at this point in the 2020/2021 academic year – 4,141 compared to 1,770.
However in 2020 the increase in school-related cases accelerated in November as the second wave of the pandemic resulted in a rapid rise in infections in the broader community
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'He didn't want to die': Family of Calgary man killed in standoff speaks out
Family of a Calgary man killed after a 30-hour standoff with police last week are speaking out, sharing details of the tense and heart-wrenching experience.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.
Ohio mom who left toddler alone 10 days when she went on vacation pleads guilty to aggravated murder
An Ohio mother whose 16-month-old daughter died after being left home alone in a playpen for 10 days last summer while she went on vacation was sentenced Monday to life in prison with no chance of parole.
Canadian commander of volunteer fighter group dies in Ukraine
A Canadian-born commander of the so-called Norman Brigade, a volunteer fighting group in Ukraine, has died.
5 charged in Calgary kidnappings that targeted women
Calgary police have charged five men in a pair of kidnappings last year that targeted innocent victims.
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
Woman, 18, killed by co-worker's vehicle on Highway 1 in Moose Jaw
Moose Jaw police say an 18-year-old woman who was at work has died from injuries she sustained in a collision with a vehicle being driven by her co-worker last Thursday.
Retired teacher pleads guilty to paying for sex with 15-year-old in Collingwood, Ont.
In a Barrie courtroom on Monday, a retired high school teacher from the Niagara Region pleaded guilty to sexual touching and obtaining sexual services from a 15-year-old boy in Collingwood in 2021.
MPs to vote on NDP motion calling on Canada to recognize Palestinian statehood
Members of Parliament will vote Monday on a motion from the federal New Democrats, calling on Canada to recognize the 'State of Palestine,' among a range of other calls to action in regards to the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict.