Stephen Lecce: Extended winter break 'not necessary' for schools in Ontario

680news.com
November 19, 2020
Lucas Casaletto

Ontario’s Education Minister announced there will be no extended holiday break across the province’s school boards citing the Ford government’s ‘strong safety protocols’.

Stephen Lecce released a statement from Queen’s Park on Wednesday.

“Ontario’s safe schools plan has worked to keep students safe from COVID-19, while allowing them to continue their learning journey and resume safe social interactions with their friends and classmates,” Lecce said.

“…We have consulted with the Chief Medical Officer of Health as well as the Public Health Measures Table and have determined that an extended winter holiday is not necessary at this time, given Ontario’s strong safety protocols, low levels of transmission and safety within our schools,” the Education Minister confirmed.

On Tuesday, Lecce hinted at the possibility of an extended school break for kids during the holidays, saying an announcement was imminent in an effort to inform parents ahead of time.

Ontario’s Premier, meanwhile, has remained adamant that closing schools is not a priority.

“Our goal, all of us, what I am hearing out there is parents want their kids in school,” Ford said on Tuesday.

“Let’s not confirm that [an extended break]. I don’t want to jump the gun here and say be prepared. Let’s wait for the minister to come out.”

Just under a month ago, the province released data showing that since Aug. 1, the biggest source of infection and transmission in Toronto has been through its schools. At the time, modelling suggested that 22 per cent of new COVID-19 cases since Aug. 1 were out of the City’s many schools and daycares.

As of Wednesday, Nunavut was the first among Canada’s provinces and territories to announce full closures across its schools that will remain in place for at least two weeks.

“We are fully committed to building upon our national leading plan to keep kids learning and safe. We will continue to consider any option and take decisive action to ensure we deliver on this shared priority of keeping schools open in January and beyond,” Lecce said.

“As we safeguard the progress we’ve made in our schools, we will continue to closely monitor all indicators, trends and numbers to protect the safety of our children, their families and all frontline staff in Ontario’s schools.”

On Wednesday, health officials in Windsor said a school has been closed and students and staff are being asked to isolate for 14 days due to a COVID-19 outbreak.

The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit declared the outbreak after three confirmed cases were linked to Frank W. Begley Elementary.

Ontario once again reported over 100 new COVID-19 cases across its many school boards on Wednesday, with just over 1,100 new infections confirmed in the past two weeks.

Currently, there are more than 650 schools in Ontario with at least one COVID-19 case.