Elementary and secondary school students throughout central Ontario will return to classrooms on Monday for in-person learning amid the coronavirus pandemic, pending health unit approval.
The province announced that based on the most recent data and advice of the Chief Medical Officer Health, schools within the juridisiction of Peterborough Public Health and the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit can resume in-person learning on Jan. 25.
Students have been taking part in online learning since school resumed after the Christmas and New Year’s break.
The announcement means, pending health unit approval, all in-person learning returns to all schools under the Kawartha, Pine Ridge District School, the Trillium Lakelands District School Board, the Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Catholic District School Board, Conseil scolaire catholique MonAvenir and Conseil scolaire de district catholique du Centre-Est de l’Ontario.
Dr. Rosana Salvaterra, Peterborough Public Health’s medical officer of health, late Wednesday afternoon stated students and families still need to be vigilant and follow health protocols at school and at home.
“This is good news for the community and an excellent sign that when we follow public health measures, restrictions can ease,” she said. “If children are showing any symptoms, parents should get them tested right away so they have results before school resumes on Jan. 25. Don’t forget that back to school means back to daily COVID-19 screening, and that students and staff must stay home with any symptoms. Even though local schools will reopen next week, we remain under the Stay at Home order so that means no socializing before or after school. If we can continue on this path, I know we can bring local case numbers down further in the hopes of lifting the ‘Stay at Home’ (order) sooner than later.”
On Wednesday, Peterborough Public Health reported 47 active cases of COVID-19 among the 495 declared since the pandemic was declared.
Of the 495 cases, 442 have been declared resolved.
There are three active outbreaks in the health unit’s region: Fairhaven long-term care, Centennial Place long-term care in Millbrook in Cavan Monaghan-Township and at Regency Retirement Home in Lakefield in Selwyn Township.
Peterborough-Kawartha MPP Dave Smith says the province has “consistently” heard from parents in the riding who who anxious to have their children return to school.
“Parents wanted their children to have a sense of more certain activities during this time of uncertainty,” he said. “The positive mental health aspects for these children to be able to see their friends in a safe learning environment cannot be understated. Mental health is part of your overall health. We believe that the diligence that our community has shown in the fight against COVID-19 will continue once school resumes and we will continue to observe the Stay at Home order before and after school.”
The Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit reports 63 active cases of COVID-19 among 735 cases in its region.
Trillium Lakelands District School Board says its elementary and secondary schools within the City of Kawartha Lakes and Haliburton County will return to in-person learning on Jan. 25. However, elementary and secondary schools within the District of Muskoka will continue remote learning.
Bus transportation will resume for eligible students in the City of Kawartha Lakes and Haliburton County starting Jan. 25, the board said.
To ensure schools remain safe, the government is introducing additional measures including province-wide targeted asymptomatic testing, enhanced screening, mandatory masking for students in Grades 1-3 and outdoors where physical distancing cannot be maintained.
Other Ontario health units that will allow schools to return to in-person learning include:
- Grey Bruce Health Unit
- Hastings and Prince Edward Counties Health Unit
- Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington Health Unit
- Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit
- Renfrew County and District Health Unit
To support families during this period, child care will remain open and available for non-school aged children across the province. Where elementary schools continue to be closed for in-person learning, before and after school programs continue to be closed and prohibited from charging parent fees. Emergency child care will be extended to support those workers that require it during this period
On Jan. 12, Ontario announced that elementary and secondary students in Windsor-Essex, Region of Peel Toronto, York Region and Hamilton Public Health Units will continue to learn remotely.
— More to come
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