As the Omicron coronavirus variant spreads rapidly, Ontario Premier Doug Ford said Friday that it is "too soon" to say for sure whether schools in the province will re-open as scheduled following the break for the holidays.
Speaking at a news conference late Friday afternoon to announce new COVID-19 restrictions to help curb the rapidly spreading Omicron variant, Ford spoke directly to parents and said he understands that they are concerned and waiting for news.
“I know you're concerned about your kids’ schools and what to expect after the New Year,” Ford said. “I can tell you this: No decision has been made on what that looks like yet. We are simply not in a position to say.”
Case counts have been rising in Ontario schools for weeks, with 72 publicly-funded schools and many private schools now closed to in-person learning due to COVID-19 outbreaks.
Ontario officials have insisted that they want schools to be the first place is to re-open and the last to close in the face of COVID-19 spread.
However speaking Friday for acknowledged that the situation is changing to rapidly right now to say for certain whether the school break might be extended in order to help control the spread of the virus.
“The situation is evolving too quickly to be able to know where we'll be in early January,” he said. “But (that’s) what we're working on every single day, with a goal of doing whatever is necessary to protect students and staff.”
The Toronto District school Board said earlier this week that they have not received any clear direction about whether or not schools will reopen in the new year, but asked students to take home learning materials just in case they do not.
“While we have received no indication from either the Ministry of Education or public health officials that schools will close, we do want to make sure we are prepared to implement any decision they may make smoothly and efficiently and continue to support our students’ learning and well-being,” the school board said in a letter to parents Wednesday.
Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Kieran Moore, speaking alongside Ford, said he wants to “warn Ontarians: this is a very aggressive virus. It spreads very quickly.”
He urged everyone to do their part by reducing their amount of contact with others in the weeks ahead.
Ontario’s COVID-19 science advisory table has said that booster shots alone will not be enough to keep the virus from spreading out of control and that public health restrictions are needed. But it has been unclear over the past few days how far the government will go to impose restrictions on a pandemic-weary population, especially with regards to schools.
“Friends, I know you're all tired. Over the last 20 months, you've been asked to sacrifice so much,” Ford said. “We've all dug so deep and now we need to dig a little deeper.”
