TDSB to resume notifying entire school communities about positive COVID-19 cases

Ontario’s largest school board will resume notifying entire school communities about positive COVID-19 cases in an effort to provide parents with a more “comprehensive picture” of virus spread amid a worsening sixth wave of the pandemic.

The Ford government removed all requirements that schools notify parents about positive cases in January, shortly after its decision to significantly curtail access to free PCR testing.

In the wake of that decision the Toronto District School Board ceased providing daily updates about the number of COVID-19 being detected among students and staff but it did commit to notifying parents when there were positive cases in their child’s classroom.

In a message posted to Twitter on Monday, the board confirmed that those “COVID-19 notification letters” will now be shared with entire school communities. It says that the letters will also include information about the classrooms impacted.

“This updated process will provide a more comprehensive picture and continue until the end of this school year,” the board said in the post.

The TDSB was one of several boards that asked the province to delay lifting the mask mandate in schools.

However, the province refused to do so and the requirement was ultimately lifted immediately following the March break.

Under current ministry guidance, parents are under no obligation to report positive rapid antigen tests to their schools though a number of boards continue to encourage them to do so.