This report was published on Ontario Government's website and it provides a summary of COVID-19 activity in publicly-funded Ontario schools. Cumulative totals represent all total cases reported to the Ministry of Education as of September 5, 2020, including resolved cases.
In-person school attendance is optional for the 2020-2021 school year for both elementary and secondary students. This allows you to make decisions that work best for your family.
School boards offer remote learning for all students who choose this option.
Elementary schools are reopening 5 days a week with increased health and safety measures.
Students will be in cohorts, which means they will be with the same group of children throughout the school day.
All secondary schools are reopening with increased health and safety measures. Students’ timetables will limit their direct and indirect contact with people at school.
Approximately 70% of secondary students will begin the 2020-2021 school year with a combination of in-school and remote learning days.
Schools will maximize opportunities for in-person classes.
Secondary schools in school boards designated by the province will open with class cohorts of approximately 15 students.
Secondary school students will be given curriculum-linked work on remote learning days and, where possible, will participate in synchronous, real-time learning with their teacher and classmates for a part of each school day. Synchronous learning is when a group of students take part in a learning activity at the same time.
Students, teachers and school staff need to check for symptoms of illness every day before going to school.
You can screen your child or yourself by taking the COVID-19 school screening. The results will tell you:
Schools are taking a variety of steps to keep a healthy and safe environment for students and staff.
Schools will have:
Schools and school boards are also being supported by up to 625 new nurses in public health units to facilitate public health and preventative measures, including screening, testing, tracing and mitigation strategies.
Schools will:
Students in Grades 4 to 12 must wear non-medical or cloth masks indoors in school, including in hallways and during classes, as well as on school transportation.
Students in kindergarten to Grade 3 are encouraged, but not required, to wear non-medical or cloth masks in indoor spaces, including school transportation.
Some school boards may have additional requirements for students in these grades. Check with your school or school board for more information about their requirements.
We are providing medical masks and eye protection, such as face shields, for all teachers and other school board staff.
All staff in schools must wear masks, with reasonable exceptions for medical conditions.
School staff who are regularly in close contact with students will be provided with all appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE).
Learn more about face coverings, including exceptions and how to properly fit, wear, remove and clean your non-medical face mask.
Non-essential visitors, including parents, are not allowed in schools.
Only essential visitors are allowed to enter schools. Essential visitors include people who:
Schools must keep records of:
Schools will provide these records to public health for contact tracing.
Read the guide to reopening Ontario schools.
If anyone becomes ill at a school, they will:
Learn about COVID-19 cases in Ontario schools.
If your child becomes ill at school, they must go home.
The school will contact you and you’ll need to arrange for them to get home, in a way that does not include public transportation. We encourage you to have a plan for this ahead of time.
If your child becomes ill at school, you should consult their health care provider. They may recommend your child get tested for COVID-19. If you or your child is tested for COVID-19, it’s easy to get the results.
Students who test negative for COVID-19, or who are diagnosed by a health care provider as having something else, can return to school when:
You do not need a doctor’s note or proof of a negative test result for your child to return to school.
Students who test positive for COVID-19 must isolate for 14 days and cannot return to school until the local public health unit advises that it’s safe. Learn how to self-isolate and care for someone with COVID-19.
Students who feel well enough can do remote learning from home. Contact your school or school board to learn about remote learning.
The local public health unit will determine what happens if a COVID-19 case is confirmed at your school.
School boards and schools will post a notice on their website if a student or staff member tests positive for COVID-19. Search for a COVID-19 advisory section on their website.
No personal information will be posted.
Learn about current COVID-19 cases in Ontario schools.
Schools are working with public health units to help them identify who has been in close contact with a person who tested positive for COVID-19.
This means that a school may provide the public health unit with your child’s name and information about their:
Schools will provide information in accordance with all applicable legislation, including the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.
The public health unit will assess risk of exposure. Those at high risk will need to isolate for 14 days.
If your child was in close contact with a person who tested positive, the public health unit will tell you that your child must isolate for 14 days. They’ll also tell you if your child or family need to get tested for COVID-19.
If your child is feeling well enough, the school will give them remote learning activities they can do at home during their 14-day isolation period.
Since students will be grouped in class cohorts, the public health unit may determine that your child has not been in close contact with a person who tested positive for COVID-19 from another class or part of the school.
The public health unit will advise you to monitor your child for symptoms, but your child will be able to keep going to school as long as they are not ill and the school is open.
If the local public health unit declares an outbreak, they will determine what happens next. This could include closing classrooms, cohorts or an entire school.
If an outbreak is declared in a school, the public health unit will help determine which groups of students need to be sent home or if a partial or full school closure is required.
An outbreak may be declared by the local public health unit when:
The local public health unit is responsible for:
Read the guide for schools on COVID-19 outbreak management.
Ontario schools have been closed since March 23 due to COVID-19. :
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