Good Afternoon All,
For those of you who have children in elementary or secondary school, or you have staff with children, Toronto will be closing all schools as of 12:01am tomorrow - Weds., April 7/21. The City's full release is below. Tomorrow will be a scramble to move to at home on-line learning for many. This order is in place until at least April 18 so it goes through the planned Spring break which starts on April 12th.
Thanks,
Susan
City of Toronto Media Relations has issued the following:
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News Release
April 6, 2021
Toronto Public Health issues Section 22 order to move all Toronto schools to remote learning
The spread of COVID-19 has never been greater in Toronto, with variants of concern increasing both the risk of transmission and the risk of serious illness or death. Stronger public health measures are required to reverse the surge of infection that the province currently faces.
Given the evidence, Toronto Public Health (TPH) appreciates the value of in-person learning, and firmly believes that schools should be the first places in our community to open, and the last to close. TPH has worked closely with its partners including local school boards, municipal leaders and our provincial counterparts. Unfortunately, current circumstances require that difficult decisions must be taken locally to protect all those in our school communities, including students, teachers and staff.
Dr. Eileen de Villa, Toronto's Medical Officer of Health, is issuing a Section 22 order under the Health Protection and Promotion Act, that requires all elementary and secondary school students to transition to online/remote learning effective Wednesday, April 7 at 12:01 a.m. The order will be in place from April 7 to 18, which will bring students to the end of the April break. An extension of this order may be considered based on COVID-19 epidemiological data for Toronto.
Licensed child care programs will not be permitted to offer care to children whose schools are required to be closed under the order, with the exception of emergency child care for those who qualify.
TPH appreciates that this decision places additional burden on many including students, staff and families, and especially those with younger children and fewer supports. The health and safety of students and staff remains a priority for TPH. This action is being taken in an effort to keep our communities safe and prevent further spread of COVID-19.
Toronto is home to more than 2.9 million people whose diversity and experiences make this great city Canada’s leading economic engine and one of the world’s most diverse and livable cities. As the fourth largest city in North America, Toronto is a global leader in technology, finance, film, music, culture, and innovation, and consistently places at the top of international rankings due to investments championed by its government, residents and businesses. For more information visit http://www.toronto.ca or follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/CityofToronto, on Instagram at http://www.instagram.com/cityofto or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/cityofto.