Ford Is Revealing His Decision Today About Kids Going Back To School Before Summer
It seems like Ontario's schools will probably stay closed until September, though.
As the stay-at-home order lifts and the province records the lowest number of new COVID-19 cases since last fall, Premier Doug Ford is set to make an announcement on Wednesday about what the last few weeks of the school year will look like for Ontario's students.
He will be joined by Minister of Education Stephen Lecce and Minister of Health Christine Elliott for the 1 p.m. announcement.
However, sources have confirmed to various outlets including CTV News and the Toronto Star that it's likely Ford's government will not reopen schools until the fall and continue with virtual learning for the remaining weeks of the school year.
"It can't happen, unfortunately. The risks are too great," a senior PC official told The Star on Tuesday.
Ontario's Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. David Williams said recently that he hoped schools would be allowed to reopen before step one of the province's reopening plan. Williams said then that there were talks about opening some schools on a regional basis by the first week of June.
But, Ford is reportedly hesitant to allow in-person learning to resume too early, fearing that increased COVID-19 transmission would lead to a fourth wave.