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All Toronto schools to close for in-person learning as of Wednesday

Toronto joins Peel in being second Ontario region to make the jump
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FILE – A family walk past the sign at Thorncliffe Park Public School in Toronto on Friday December 4, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn

All Toronto schools will be closed to in-person learning as of Wednesday (April 7).

Toronto’s medical health officer Dr. Eileen de Villa became the second in Ontario to close schools using a Section 22 order under the Health Protection and Promotion Act. Peel, which borders Toronto, announced Monday that all schools would shut down for two weeks.

Toronto’s schools will be closed until April 17.

In a statement, Toronto Public Health said that it “appreciates the value of in-person learning” and believes that schools should be 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.”

Toronto has a positivity rate of 7.2 per cent, while B.C.’s current seven-day positivity rate is 9.9 per cent.

Black Press Media has reached out to the B.C. government to learn about the status of schools in the province.

More to come.


@katslepian

katya.slepian@bpdigital.ca

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