Critics are calling on the Ontario government to provide clarity on the planned return to school next week amid record-high COVID-19 infections.
Premier Doug Ford has said an announcement is coming within days on whether schools will resume in person on Monday, as the Omicron variant strains public health resources such as contact tracing and testing.
NDP Leader Andrea Horwath says the government should have used the holiday period to make schools safer with plans for regular testing, better masks and improved ventilation.
She says it’s “ridiculous” that families are still in the dark with classes set to resume in a few days.
Liberal Leader Steven Del Duca says the government hasn’t taken enough measures to make schools safer after closing them for long periods of time earlier in the pandemic.
A spokeswoman for Education Minister Stephen Lecce says the government is committed to protecting students, staff and families, but didn’t give a specific date for the decision on schools opening next week.