Ontario students move to virtual learning indefinitely amid record-high COVID-19 cases

Students will be staying in remote learning indefinitely following the April Break as the province continues to see record breaking COVID-19 case and ICU numbers, the Ontario government says.

Ontario students were supposed to return to in-person learning after taking the week off for their delayed March Break.

Students in the hot spot regions of Peel, Toronto and Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph, were already moved to virtual learning the week before the break.

Peel Region moved its students online the Tuesday after Easter Monday, while Toronto and Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph followed suit on Wednesday.

Schools will reopen pending the monitoring of public health data.

Read more: Schools in Toronto, Guelph move to online learning

Premier Doug Ford made the announcement alongside Minister of Education Stephen Lecce, Minister of Health Christine Elliott and Dr. David Williams, Chief Medical Officer of Health at Queen's Park Monday afternoon. “It's a risk I won't take,” Ford said about the decision. “No one wants their kids in school more than I do but with covid spreading like wildfire … we simply can't be too cautious right now.”

Lecce repeatedly reassured parents and Ontarians that the government was focused on keeping schools open, as recent as a letter sent to parents Sunday.

“During the provincial emergency brake and the provincial stay-at-home order, all publicly funded and private elementary and secondary schools will remain open for in-person learning with strict health and safety measures in place, except in those regions where local public health units have directed schools in their areas to pivot to remote learning,” Lecce wrote in the letter.

Premier Doug Ford issued a four-week stay-at-home order and declared a third state of emergency provincewide, which came into effect Thursday at 12:01 a.m.

Read more: Ontario reports 4,401 COVID-19 cases, another record of ICU patients

On Monday, the province reported 4,401 new COVID-19 cases, the second highest single-day increase to date. There are currently 1,646 people hospitalized, with 619 patients in intensive care units — an all-time high, and 408 patients in the ICU on a ventilator.

The Ontario government has said repeatedly they want to keep schools open amid the third wave to help with students' mental health.

Numerous health officials have said schools should be the last to close and the first to open.

Remain vigilant this April Break.

Please read and share my letter to parents outlining Ontario’s plan to keep students and staff safe. pic.twitter.com/hd0u9V1ZrH

— Stephen Lecce (@Sflecce) April 11, 2021

Dr. de Villa says there are other communities with similar community transmission levels seen in Toronto. Alludes to waiting for a decision coming from the province for a decision on extending school closures.

— Matthew Bingley (@mattybing) April 12, 2021